For Your Eyes Only
by DreamingOfParadise
Summary: Bella Swan thinks she has a perfectly ordinary life until Edward Cullen turns up in her English class... as a ghost. At first she doesn't believe he's real, but when he shares his story, she no longer has any doubts and realises that she must help him.
1. When They Met

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Prologue_

Edward Cullen didn't even see the car coming.

He'd heard the sounds of engines revving, but that was it. One minute he was crossing the road, completely oblivious to any danger and deeply emerged in his own thoughts, the next he was on the floor, gasping in shock and pain.

The impact took all the air out of his body and he felt bones breaking and skin tearing.

He rolled over several times, internally screaming all the way, and eventually ground to a halt, blinking wildly. The road was cold and damp, and he vaguely heard the sound of a car door opening. There were voices, and two large, hooded figures suddenly bent over him.

He squinted up, the effort to do so completely staggering. His whole body ached and pain prickled along every part of him; his leg was causing him the most misery. Although his vision was fastly becoming blurry, he made out a man with long hair and a muscular build, and his skin was tanned. He had a long, ugly scar down one side of his cheek, but by the time he moved his green eyes towards the other man he could hardly see anymore.

Suddenly, he felt a horribly warm breath by his ear and the murmured sounds of voices. Hands frantically invaded his pockets and he protested limply, his words sounding pained and weak.

He was going to die.

The men took everything in his possession and he desperately tried to reach out, knowing just how important his belongings were. He groaned once more, fear flooding his thoughts. He was alone and _he was going to die_.

How long would he lie here like this before it ended?

The men quickly backed away and left in their car, wheels screeching loudly, and everything around Edward went silent. To his surprise, his eyes stung and a single tear trailed over his nose and onto the floor. He tried to curl into a more comfortable position, but the effort caused pain to shoot up and down his legs and stole the little air from his chest.

He froze, lying there completely crippled.

He knew he was slowly losing consciousness and he gasped for help. His voice was barely audible over the wind and, slowly, he closed his eyes, escaping the pain and the world.

_Chapter One – When They Met_

_**Bella's POV**_

"So," Rose suddenly said, sounding a little suspicious. I looked at her warily, raising my eyebrows.

We were both in school, putting together a list of ideas for our art project, and the classroom was full of chatter, making it _very_ hard to concentrate. I was glad that Rose had decided to speak up, actually; I was slowly turning insane from the background noise and needed a distraction. It was like a continual buzz from a fly.

"_So_?" I repeated, quickly jotting something unimportant down.

"Are you or are you not going to the party tomorrow?"

I groaned. I just _knew _that this was going to come up. I'd been waiting all morning for her to say something and it hadn't taken long. Practically everyone in the school was talking about it already. "Rose, my mind is made up." I took in a deep breath, bracing myself. "Sorry, but I am most definitely _not_ going to the party."

Almost instantly, Rose's lips moulded into her trademark pout. I rolled my eyes in response. "Don't even bother, Rose. In case you haven't noticed, I don't have a penis so that trick isn't gonna work on me."

Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie, who were working as a pair in front of us, simultaneously turned around, both raising their eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes, boys?" Rose asked innocently. "Do you want something?"

"No, no," Mike murmured, still looking a little dazed. They both spun back around, leaving us alone and continuing on with their work.

"I'm still not going, Rose," I added after a while.

Knowing this, she proceeded to fold her arms and try out another of her signature moves; the death stare.

"Don't do that either!" I retorted. "The party would, for me personally, be worse than an arrow in the neck."

Her eyes widened at that; she actually looked a little hurt. Maybe it was a bit harsh...

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rose," I sighed, chewing my pen lid. "It's not anything to do with you... I just-"

She didn't look convinced. I sighed once more.

"Rose, nothing that you say or do is going to make any difference. I just can't go to this... _thing _and I don't want to either!"

"Why the hell not?" she snapped.

I could tell that she was struggling to keep her voice down; if we weren't currently in the classroom she would have most definitely shrieked at me. Her mood swings and temper are things that need to be approached with caution.

I shifted about uncomfortably in the plastic seat and half heartedly flipped through my notebook. "Well," I took a deep breath, "firstly, tomorrow is Friday, which means that it's visiting day for Charlie."

Charlie, my father, had been sent to a rehabilitation centre when I was seventeen, due to a severe addiction to alcohol. It hasn't been easy for him - of course it wouldn't be - but he's gradually improving and has been there for a whole year now. I'm allowed to visit him every Friday and each week there's a slight improvement, something which warms my heart.

The other six days of the week are a little tough, though.

The specialists are saying that he might be out in a few more months and, although that's good news, I'm dreading it. He might not be able to cope out of there without professional help and it terrifies me to think that it might be my fault if he spirals out of control again.

But that's not something to worry about just yet.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I noticed Rose's face falling and her eyes slowly softened. I rambled on, continuing while I still could.

"And secondly, I absolutely detest parties. In fact, I hate socialising in general. People being forced to make conversation with each other isn't exactly my idea of fun."

Rose's face was still sympathetic. "I'm sorry, I forgot about the day." She paused. "How is he? Charlie, I mean."

I knew full well who she was on about and shivered a little in response. "He's... he's okay, I guess. Thank you."

"Okay?" she repeated, sounding a little sceptical.

"Yeah," I murmured. "Okay is the appropriate word."

Rose quietened and began doodling on her paper. I was incredibly grateful for the silence; it really showed how well she knew me. She can tell whenever I'm happy, sad, or if something's bothering me, or when I just need some space.

We first met each other in kindergarten. She was playing in the sandpit and I desperately wanted to as well, so I stormed over and demanded that she stepped out, mainly because she'd been in there for over half an hour. We, inevitably, had a nasty argument (involving some inappropriate use of a plastic spade as a weapon), but soon afterwards I offered her some of my peanut butter sandwich and we instantly bonded.

"But I'm sorry," I continued, removing myself once more from my thoughts. "I really, _really_ just don't want to go." I hesitated. "I hope you understand."

She sighed heavily. "I guess I can cope without you." She smirked and I realised I'd won. Just. "I'll have to hang around with some other people instead."

"There's always Emmett," I offered, causing her to grin.

"I don't think what we get up to is legal in public, Bells."

"Eww." I wrinkled my nose, relaxing a little. "Swift subject change _please_..."

The day dragged by fairly slowly following that and, after lunch and registration, Rose and I parted; she headed towards the woods with Emmett while I proceeded to English. I had a _fairly_ good idea of what they would be doing and several disturbing mental images came to mind. Ugh.

I walked silently towards class on my own, secretly looking forward to the lesson. English was a subject that I could really relate with, mainly because I spend my spare time writing in notebooks and reading novels.

Taking into consideration my complete lack of social life, that's basically what I spend most of my life doing. It's better than drug dealing or something.

But, despite this, I do find it incredibly comforting to just sit on my bed and lose myself in a story. It sounds pathetic, but it's wonderful to escape from what's usually happening on the outside. On a bad day I usually find myself wondering how Charlie is coping on his own in his little cell, wondering what he feels when each day goes past without any alcohol...

Completely lost in my thoughts, I was shocked to find myself suddenly slamming into something hard. I automatically blinked a few times and the breath caught in my throat when I recognised the familiar mess of blond hair. He quickly turned around in clear irritation but his features soon softened when he noticed me. His lips turned up into a small smile and I nearly melted.

How lame.

"Oh, hi Bella," he murmured, in his honey-coated voice. (Another lame cheesy line. My _God_.)

"S-Sorry, Jasper," I stammered. "I- I didn't... I wasn't looking where I was going."

"I guessed that," he chuckled.

I had sort-of, _kind_-of developed a tiny crush on Jasper Whitlock during high school. I _know_, it was really unwise, shallow and stupid of me, considering his popularity and _crazy _good looks, but, being me, I had to act like a ten year old and almost oggle ridiculously at him during any given opportunity.

_But_, I wasn't like the other people who _obviously_ crushed on him like me. I kept my feelings private and I didn't constantly drop to my knees in front of him. Believe me, many people did that, and it wasn't just to worship him.

"Uh, well, I guess I'd better get to Biology, now," he murmured.

Talk about awkward.

I coughed and tried my hardest not to stare at the hand hovering awkwardly by his hair. So, I'd been gawping again. I'd probably even drooled in the process.

"Sorry," I muttered. "S-Sorry. Enjoy class."

He laughed. "I'll try my best."

He then disappeared around the corner, leaving the distant smell of his aftershave in the air.

Why couldn't I act normally around him? It was just so ridiculously..._ ridiculous_!

With a heavy sigh and trying _desperately_ not to dwell on that exchange, I walked into the classroom and took my normal seat at the back. I became immediately comfortable and stared out the window for a bit, making random shapes out of the clouds (it's an old habit from childhood.) I then watched the people running around the school, taking in the different expressions on their faces. They ranged from stress to panic to downright boredom.

I soon snapped out of my trance and began unpacking my things. I was just reaching for my notebook, when I suddenly turned icy cold.

It was odd; my body immediately seemed to freeze and I frowned automatically, feeling goose bumps slowly spreading along my arms. I glanced at the radiator next to me and slowly pressed my hand on the top.

It was warm.

There was absolutely no reason for me to feel a chill. I didn't feel ill and the room was, otherwise, heated and comfortable.

I involuntarily shuddered. Weird.

Settling back into my chair, I twiddled with my pen, feeling a little excited about the lesson. I had decided to put the strange coldness to the back of my mind (everyone gets random chills every now and then, anyway) and had a quick glance through my book. We were doing poetry today and I found something strangely satisfying about deconstructing lines and finding the hidden meanings.

Like I said before, lack of social life.

The teacher, Miss Williams, soon entered the room and stood promptly behind her desk. I couldn't help smiling towards her; she knew of my enthusiasm for the subject and was always lovely to me. She was the motherly type and always invited confidence when it came to contributing to the lesson.

_Motherly type_. My throat turned a little thick and I pushed down the pain with all my willpower.

"Good afternoon," she greeted warmly. "Now, as you know, we're starting our poetry module today, so please take out your books and look over page three. Make some annotations if you can."

After scanning through the poem and making a brief few notes, I glanced ahead towards the front of the class, unable to write anything else. I looked to the right at some posters on the wall and then, growing increasingly impatient, my eyes dragged to the left side of the room.

I almost screamed at what I saw.

My whole body stiffened in shock. I was almost instantly trying to reject what I had seen, telling myself that I was imagining things.

Despite this, I still stared.

Whatever _he_ was, he was beautiful. I could just about make out a head of untidy bronze hair which lay messily around his pale, smooth face. His green eyes were striking, the most prominent feature; I could see them clearly, even from the distance.

He had defined cheekbones and a strong jaw, all with a straight nose and small ears. He was wearing dark clothing, items which made his light skin seem to sparkle.

Surely my imagination couldn't conjure up something so... oddly perfect?

I shifted in my seat, blinking rapidly and waiting for him to disappear. Nobody else around me seemed to be aware of his presence, which was a worrying thought. At this moment, Miss Williams began speaking, but her words sounded like a distant mumble to me; I was too busy being enthralled with this... person. This _thing_.

Was he real? Maybe it was only me who could see him...

But he was almost transparent, like an apparition of some kind or a... a...

I gulped. Or a ghost.

A _ghost_.

He just hovered over there silently, looking around the classroom in a strange desperation. He was quiet and a little eerie, but in a strangely good way.

His eyes suddenly flickered to mine in a blur of emerald.

I immediately jolted backwards, alarmed by the prickle of intensity. My mind was racing; had somebody spiked my drink during lunch? Was this a crazy hallucination? Was I overdosing? Having a nervous breakdown?

_No. Don't be ridiculous, Bella. Not everybody takes drugs here, they wouldn't pick on you. You're just having a strange turn, that's all. Calmly ask the teacher if you can be excused and then..._

We stared at each other for a long time and I couldn't seem to find the strength to breathe, let alone raise my arm. My whole body was in shock. Nothing was responding.

Things didn't improve when he started gliding effortlessly towards me.

I tried to drag my eyes away from him but just couldn't. He completely enthralled me with his presence; he was weirdly and dangerously intoxicating.

Whatever _he_ was.

He drifted past the other desks and nobody even stirred; they just continued looking bored and scribbling things absently into their books. I closed my eyes for a long time, hoping he would disappear and that this would be a bad memory.

I needed him to leave so that I could stop questioning my sanity.

I took a long, deep breath and suddenly heard a voice coming from somewhere.

"Bella? Are you feeling alright?"

My eyes immediately snapped open and I gasped loudly; the ghostly _thing_ was just a few inches in front of me now. I somehow managed to pull my eyes away from him and towards the teacher and nodded rigidly, all the time feeling a strong tingle across my skin.

This was _not_ right.

She gave me a long look, then carried on reading and I glanced towards the thing in front of me, feeling even more staggered than before.

Close up, he was even more beautiful. No, he was flawless. Inhuman.

My head was swimming. I was slowly losing myself in the startling green colour of his eyes. He remained completely still all the time, not even seeming to breathe, but his gaze was so bewildering that I nearly swayed on the spot.

Then, he spoke.

"Can you see me?"

I shivered, unable to believe what was happening. It just couldn't be real. It _couldn't_ be.

His voice was like silk and was incredibly rich. At the same time, it was barely above a whisper and held a strange sadness.

_He does not exist. Bella, you're hallucinating. This isn't real. Ignore him._

I couldn't answer. Couldn't even move.

"Can you see me?" he repeated slowly, emphasising each syllable by leaning closer. His palms seemed to be pressing on the table, even though that was impossible, and I could see that his shoulders were tense.

Somehow, he seemed so human too.

At that moment, his eyes changed. To begin with they were curious, full of despair and loss, as though he had given up.

Now I saw hope. Happiness. Light.

But... _how?_

"You can see me," he murmured, and it was a statement of truth. He smiled crookedly and his whole face lit up beautifully. "_Finally_! Somebody can see me!"

I found myself nodding along, causing him to laugh aloud, a glorious, wonderful sound. I still couldn't understand what was happening but went along with it, hoping it would all end soon.

I started to worry about what was happening, fearing that I was turning slowly insane. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

It all became too much for me to handle after a few moments and, without warning, I promptly fainted, slumping onto the desk with a painful thud.


	2. When He Needed Her Help

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Two – When He Needed Her Help_

"Bella? Oh goodness! _Bella_, can you hear me?"

I vaguely heard a sigh and another voice coming from somewhere. "Shall I go to the nurse?"

_Ugh, no! Not the nurse, please! Anybody but her._

"Yes, you better had. Be quick, though." There was a pause. "Bella? _Bella_?"

I knew that I really should have replied, but I couldn't quite manage it. My head was unbelievably sore and I honestly believed that, if I moved, I'd slump to the floor into a pile of Bella jelly.

I let out an involuntary groan and registered a few more mumbles around me. At least they knew I was alive now.

There was something nagging at the back of my mind, though. Something that I knew I should remember but just couldn't. I screwed my already closed eyes harder together and thought, causing my head to ache a little bit more.

What had I forgotten? Gah, I knew there was _something_... It was like trying to remember a dream.

Things were coming back to me in weird jolts; I could remember Rose and I talking in Art, bumping into Jasper Whitlock (_ugh_, how could I forget that?) I remembered taking notes for English... staring randomly at a poster on the wall...

Then, with a sickening force, it hit me.

My head shot upwards and I swayed on the spot, suddenly feeling very ill. My stomach was light and my vision was blurred around the edges; I blinked furiously and was alarmed at how fast my heart was hammering. I could hear my pulse in my ears, but the same words were screaming at me.

The ghost. The ghost... _thing_.

I looked around the room frantically, ignoring the people in front me who were shamelessly staring, taking a good look at my awful appearance. It felt as though I was going to throw up at any moment and I had to use all my strength not to. It was humiliating enough thinking that I'd had some kind of turn during class, but vomiting would just be _too_ embarrassing.

He wasn't here anymore. Well, I mean _it _wasn't here. Things that don't exist don't have a gender. Duh.

I felt a little wave of disappointment, but it was quickly replaced by relief. I'd _obviously_ had some weird moment and, before I fainted, had hallucinated and seen a wonderful and beautiful ghostly figure.

That's completely... _normal_. Happens everyday to the best of people.

I looked up towards Miss Williams and smiled faintly, also groaning internally at the same time when I noticed the school nurse rushing into the room. I had to suppress an eye roll when she waddled over towards me, making a drama out of it all. She was the middle aged motherly type, somebody who was _way_ too overdramatic and ridiculous.

There it was again. _Motherly type_. A constant reminder of what I no longer had.

"What's her name?" she asked the teacher, seeming to be completely unaware of my presence.

"I'm Bella," I muttered bluntly, looking towards the door. "Can you please go now?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "How are you feeling? Dizzy? Nauseous? Faint?"

"Aren't those all the same things?" I asked unhelpfully, earning a stern look. I sighed and answered, "A little dizzy, I guess, but I really am fine."

She obviously didn't believe me; I could have just told her that I was actually an alien in disguise. "I think you'd better come into my room. I'll be able to properly check you over in there."

That sounded horrific.

I grumbled once more. "Please, I really don't think it's necessary... I-"

"Bella, you'd better go," Miss Williams interjected and she looked genuinely concerned for me. "You did faint, after all, and you look awfully pale."

Aware of everybody still listening in, I nodded slowly and stood up, taking one last look around the room.

Nothing.

I _really_ shouldn't be feeling disappointed.

The nurse busily packed away my things into my bag as though I was mentally incompetent and I resisted the urge to make a snappy comment. I stood awkwardly by my desk while she fiddled with my zip and I found myself becoming increasingly agitated. This wasn't kindergarten; I was capable of putting my flaming things into my own bag. It was hardly rocket science or brain surgery.

"All set?" she asked, putting my bag over her own shoulder. I watched her with wide eyes.

"I can carry my own bag, y'know," I grumbled.

"I'm just being cautious," she replied, grabbing my arm. Heat soon flooded to my cheeks and she pulled me out of the room. I swear I could hear snickers from the back of the class.

Perfect. Everyone loves a bit of public humiliation.

The journey towards the nurse's office was... _awkward, _to say the very least. For some reason, she felt the need to make conversation and I just wanted to sprint away in the opposite direction, freeing myself from the dreadful small talk.

The topic soon turned towards Charlie and I suddenly felt even more uncomfortable than before, if that was really possible.

"How's your father, Isabella?" she asked and I gave her an evil look. She knew full well that I hated being called that. Hell, everybody in the entire town knew I hated that name. Everyone called me Bella, why was that so difficult for her? Did she just _want _to be different?

I pulled myself away from my raging thoughts and tried to answer her as politely as possible. "He's fine, thank you."

She obviously wasn't satisfied with my answer because she soon prodded for more information like some crazed journalist. "Is it all going well at rehab?"

A grimace spread across my face. "I don't mean any offence or anything..." (Well, I did, but I wasn't gonna say that out loud...) "But I don't recall it _ever_ being any of your business."

"I do know your father well, Isabella," she said patronisingly. "He was a friend of mine."

"Yeah? Well, he never mentioned you."

"Hmm," she murmured. "He probably wasn't in the state to remember."

I very nearly snapped and earned myself a detention or maybe even an expulsion, but just about managed to calm down in time. This person was really bringing out the worst in me. "If that's what you think."

We walked through into her room and I reluctantly sat down on the bed, feeling completely ridiculous.

"I really do feel fine," I told her. "You shouldn't waste your time on me."

"Drink this," she said, handing me a glass of water. I ground my teeth together and sipped away, still feeling a little ill. The water was tasteless and seemed to move sluggishly down my throat, making everything worse.

Once I'd finished the drink, I stood up, reaching for my bag. "Can I _please_ go now?" I seriously considered getting down to my knees and begging.

"Hang on." She placed her hand across my forehead and I closed my eyes, really feeling annoyed now. "You're a little hot," she pondered. "Maybe I should-"

"No," I interrupted. "No, I'm fine. I just want to get back to my lesson." _And see if the ghost ever turns up again._

After a long look and a sigh, she nodded. "Go on, then. But if you have another turn, don't blame me."

"I won't," I grumbled, slamming the door behind me. _What_ an experience.

With another groan, I slowly made my way down the stairs, trudging back to English.

* * *

When the bell_ finally_ rang for the end of the day, I breathed out a very heavy sigh of relief. I practically leapt out of my seat and rushed towards the doors. I knew I'd have to face Rosalie's questions, but at least she was somebody who genuinely cared for me and didn't just want the latest on my alcoholic father.

I stepped outside and saw her almost straight away. She was more or less attached to Emmett with superglue but, when I stood behind her and cleared my throat, they pulled apart, turning to face me.

"Hi, Bells," she smiled, soon frowning. "Hey, you look a bit pale..."

"Hey Bella," Emmett added and I smiled weakly up at him. "I'll leave you two alone to talk for a minute."

He kissed Rose on the cheek before heading towards a group of his own friends to talk. I really did like Emmett; he knew that we needed time together sometimes and respected that. Most people think that he's just an idiot, always joking around but, when you bother to get to know him, he's really just a big softie.

"So, Bells, has something happened?" Rose asked, leaning back against her car. "You really don't look well. It's like you've seen a ghost or something, you're so pale."

An hysterical giggle escaped my lips, earning me a strange look.

I cleared my throat to compose myself and ran my fingers through my hair in discomfort. "Well, I... um. I kind of, er..." With a shrug, my words came out in a rush, "fainted in English."

Her eyes widened and she leapt up, placing a hand on each of my shoulders. "Oh my God! Bells, are you feeling OK? That type of stuff doesn't happen to you normally, does it?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I sighed, shaking my head. "It really was nothing. Everyone's been making a big deal out of something stupid. It's the only drama around here so everybody has to latch onto it."

She didn't look convinced. "Do you still feel unwell?"

"Ugh, Rose, you sound just like the nurse," I moaned.

"Answer my question."

I blew out a long breath. "Yes, I'm fine. I just want to go home now, really."

"You're not _driving_!" she yelled. "You can't be serious!"

"Rose, it happened nearly two hours ago. I am _honestly_ fine now. And besides, there's no chance of it happening again."

"How do you know that?" she countered.

_Because a beautiful ghost _thing_ isn't going to turn up to see me again._

"I just know," I sighed. "Please, I want to go home."

She looked at me for a long time before finally exhaling. "I guess you don't live too far away... _But_ you have to promise to ring me when you get back home. Straight away. I want to know that you get back safely."

I nodded a little absently. It was really nice knowing that she cared, but I just felt drained and longed to see my bed.

"Alright then," she said, a little uncertainly. "Speak to you later. Don't forget!"

"I won't!"

I walked across the parking lot, feeling a few random stares in my direction, but kept my head down all the way. When I finally reached my car door and began unlocking it, I suddenly felt another hand pressing lightly on my shoulder. I turned slowly around, expecting to see somebody I didn't even _know_ after some gossip, but was surprised to see that it was Jasper Whitlock. My heart had a dramatic reaction, mostly from the fact that I was startled, and I urged myself to calm down. He was only a human being, after all.

"Hi?" I asked, a little confused at seeing him.

"Hey," he smiled easily. "I don't mean to bother you... I just heard that you fainted in your English lesson."

So the news had spread around. Brilliant, just as I expected.

"Yeah," I sighed. "It really was nothing."

"I just wanted to check that you were okay, really," he said, frowning a little. I felt unbelievably warm and fuzzy and had to focus on my breathing. _Stop it, Bella. He just wants the inside information... he's not interested._

"Thanks, I'm alright now," I replied mechanically. I stared towards the floor, randomly admiring his red converse. He was always dressed so well; checked shirts, black jeans and colourful shoes.

I automatically thought back to the ghost's clothing, comparing it to Jasper's.

_Stop it._

"So... yeah," he muttered awkwardly. "Have a safe trip home. Are you sure you should really be driving?"

"I've already had this lecture." I managed a smile. "But I'll try."

I knew I shouldn't have done so, but I watched him walking away towards his own car. He turned around and gave me a final wave, and I quickly sat in my truck, feeling my face flaming. I was really completely stupid for even thinking about him; it just made me seem so_ lame_. I didn't particularly want to fall into the group of Whitlock Worshippers, but it seemed I already had.

Well darn.

I quickly started up my engine and turned on the radio at its loudest volume, trying to force my thoughts of Jasper and the ghost _thing _out of my mind. It really had been such an odd day and just thinking back to English made me shiver. I could still picture his hair, his eyes, the clothes he wore...

His voice...

But he wasn't real. I knew that. It was a weird hallucination.

With a final shudder and a wave towards Rose, I pulled out of the parking lot and took my usual route home.

The roads were unusually quiet as I made my way back and I found myself relaxing a little when one of my favourite songs came on. The trees passed by in blurs of green and it was a strangely soothing colour. The day seemed a horrible but distant memory and I was pleased with that. I could just file it away in my head under 'really weird experiences' and forget it for the moment. That sounded like a good plan to me. And besides, I had other worries.

I almost stopped breathing when I suddenly remembered why I liked green so much.

The road ahead was long and straight so I sat back in my seat, humming along to some of the lyrics to calm myself. After a while, it seemed to work; a million thoughts weren't whizzing around in my mind anymore and I relished in this.

The radio started playing some random adverts and I sighed heavily, moving back to reality.

"Half price right now, this is something you really can't afford to miss, _Bella_."

I bolted upright, frowning heavily. Had my name just been on the radio? That couldn't be possible. Or it could have just been a coincidence...

But it had sounded eerily like...

"Bella? Is that your name?"

I glanced over to the passenger seat and the familiar mixture of a thrill and fear took over me. My body froze and I felt myself instantly starting to hyperventilate.

The ghost was back.

This just wasn't real. _What was _happening_ to me?_

"Bella?" His eyebrows furrowed. "You're Bella, aren't you?"

I couldn't form any words. My mouth was dry and I was in complete disbelief; I'd thought he was just a one-off, some crazy result of a chemical imbalance. Yet, here he was, messing with my mind.

The only thing I could manage was a small nod.

He met my eyes, looking as beautiful as before. His body was faced towards me and he really was just inches away from me.

I couldn't breathe.

"H-How do you know my n-name?" I stammered. After I'd said those words, I regretted it; he wasn't even real, for goodness' sake, so why the hell did it even matter?

"I've been around the school," he answered, smiling. "After you... well, _fainted,_" I cringed, "People were calling your name."

"You were s-still there?" I whispered.

"Yes."

"But..."

"Nobody could see me, don't worry," he added, but I just stayed still.

"I'm Edward, by the way," he said calmly after a while, as though this was completely normal. "Edward Cullen. In case you're interested.."

My muscles were locked, my throat slowly constricting. Fear was flowing through my body; I was almost definitely going insane. It was finally too much for me. I thought about Dad, about school, about everything...

About Mom.

_No, Bella, please don't go!_

My eyes watered and a sob escaped my lips. I saw the ghost turn towards me. "Is something wrong?"

_Yes, there's a weird ghost in my car and I'm slowly losing my sanity. I'm also a failure, whose father is an alcoholic and whose mother…_

"Bella, please talk to me."

"W-W-What are you?" I spluttered, my voice barely a whisper.

"I don't know," he replied, still eyeing me carefully. "But I need your help."

"My h-help?" I gasped. "I-"

It was then that the car journey suddenly became jumpy. I pulled my eyes away from the ghost and screamed, realising that I was actually off the road and heading towards the forest and, most worryingly, a tree.

A scream had barely escaped my lips when there was a loud crash and glass splinters shattered around me. I felt several prickles on my face and raised my hands up instinctively to cover my eyes. The seatbelt tugged against my chest and I felt a burning pain when I lurched forwards, banging my head on something. I wailed helplessly, the sharp ache suddenly becoming overwhelming. My headache from earlier paled in significance and, opening my eyes slowly, all I could see was scarlet. Blood.

After a final deep breath, I became aware of everything blurring again. Slowly and gradually, I realised that I was losing consciousness and, with a crippling fear, I reluctantly closed my eyes. For the second time that day, everything went black and my last thoughts were of the ghost.


	3. When She Was In Hospital

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Three – When She Was In Hospital_

Even though I was on the brink of consciousness, I still knew that I was in trouble.

The last thing I remembered was pain. A horrible, prickling pain across my forehead. I could clearly picture the splinters of glass shattering over me, the force of my head slamming against the steering wheel. My truck crashing into a tree.

The ghost. Edward... was that really his name?

I promised Rose I'd get home safely; she was probably _really_ panicking now. I'd been such a fool, driving after I'd fainted earlier on in the day. Only a complete _idiot_ would do that, but why couldn't I have realised that before? I just _had _to be stubborn.

Then again, an idiot isn't likely to be stalked by a ghost by the name of Edward Cullen who insists that he needs their help.

I realised, then, just how alert I was and decided to open my eyes slowly, surprised by a numb feeling that was spreading through my body. I couldn't feel my fingertips or my toes, or anything at all.

That was... worrying.

I blinked a few times to clear my vision and was met by a handsome blond doctor who smiled almost immediately when I looked up into his eyes.

"It's nice to have you with us again, Miss Swan."

A groan escaped my lips and I tried to shift myself upwards, but nothing happened. I just flopped back onto the bed like a jellyfish.

"It's best that you keep still for the time being," his voice continued. "You had quite a shock."

_That's putting it lightly._

I looked around and, for sure, I was in Forks Hospital. There was a humming noise in the air; the sound of distant conversations echoing through into my room and medical machinery. I was alone with the doctor and felt disappointed once more when Edw- I mean, the _ghost_ wasn't there.

Something which was _completely_ unreasonable.

"So, Miss Swan..."

I turned my attention to the doctor and couldn't help smiling goofily at him (I blame the accident). He looked like he should be a film star, or at the very least a model for shampoo. He was just _so _handsome and his hair shone beautifully.

I had to stay focused, though, and tried my hardest to keep my face neutral.

"Are you in any pain at the moment?"

I thought about that for a second. It was strange, but I really couldn't feel anything. In fact, I felt strangely high. Well, at least I_ thought_ this was what it was like to be high; I'd never had that experience before and didn't ever intend to.

"No," I answered, frowning a little. My words were slightly slurred and slow. "I feel kind of... numb."

He chuckled. "That's the pain meds getting to work. You'll need to alert a nurse when you need a top up, though. There's a button there." His gaze moved to just above my eyes. "You had a rather nasty injury on your forehead."

My hands automatically moved upwards but he rushed over, quickly stopping my action. "No, no, don't touch it just yet. You don't want to damage the stitches or pull them out."

I winced at that; things were getting even worse, if that were really possible.

"Luckily there weren't any serious injuries," he added, taking a chair and sitting close to me. "You were very fortunate." I smiled at him and randomly glanced at his name tag. _Dr Cullen._

My heart immediately began pounding faster. Surely he couldn't be...? No, he wouldn't...

"H-Hey, are you related to an Edward C-Cullen?" I asked, unable to stop the words pouring from my mouth. I immediately regretted saying so, but just had to wait for his reaction now. A frown quickly appeared on his face.

"No, I don't think so." He paused. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I... I, _well_, I met somebody with the same surname as you earlier today," I replied carefully. "Maybe it was just a coincidence."

He nodded a little distantly. "Yes, probably."

We sat in silence for a while and I internally moaned for bringing that up; I had most definitely sounded _completely _stupid and very nosey, and now Dr Cullen seemed to be thinking about it a lot, as though it were really a possibility.

"Can you remember what caused you to crash, Miss Swan?" he continued suddenly, gaining my attention.

I took a deep breath, knowing exactly what had happened. It was still fresh in my memory and I knew I'd never forget it for as long as I lived, ominous as that may sound. I also knew that I couldn't tell Dr Cullen what had really happened, or he'd send me straight to the psychiatric ward.

"Um... I think I f-fainted," I told him. "But it happened to me earlier today as well."

His eyes widened. "Miss Swan, that was very irresponsible of you to drive after fainting previously." He paused. "How long was it between the two incidents?"

"About two hours."

He looked at me for a long time. "I shouldn't really make any judgements, but-"

"I know, it was wrong," I sighed. "I just... well, I wasn't really thinking straight."

There was suddenly a loud thud on the door and I closed my eyes in despair, recognising the head of blonde hair. Rose.

I was in deep sh-

"Bella_ Swan_!" she hissed.

I exchanged a look with the doctor, silently pleading with him to help me. He gave a helpless smile and turned towards my new visitor. She rushed through the doors and stood at the edge of my bed; her head was constantly shaking and she looked in complete disbelief.

Basically my general feelings of today, then. What a suckish day it's been.

"What did I tell you?" she shouted. It was obviously a rhetorical question because she soon yelled, "I told you not to drive!"

"Sorry, Miss, would you mind please lowering your-"

Rose fiercely cut off Dr Cullen's attempt. "No! I won't!" She turned towards me. "Bella, that was incredibly stupid of you! I knew I shouldn't have let you go, but now look at you!"

"I know, I know," I said quietly. "I-"

My voice trailed off limply and, to my embarrassment, I realised that I was close to tears. I didn't know how that had happened but I just stared at my lap, managing to feel my face prickle. Obviously the pain meds didn't numb off _everything_...

"Do you mind if I have a quiet word with Bella?"

Rose was talking to the doctor and it seemed she had finally quietened a little. He nodded and started to stand up.

"Thank you for looking after me, Dr Cullen," I called, just when his hand reached the door.

He turned back around and gave me a wonderful smile. "No problem and, please, call me Carlisle."

I was still grinning when he walked out down the corridor. Now that man certainly had charm.

After swallowing a few times, I looked up at Rose and was relieved to see that she looked a little calmer now. In fact, her face was full of sympathy and I immediately squirmed, feeling a lecture coming on.

"Bells, what happened?"

She took the seat where Dr Cullen had been before and I sighed, telling her the same old story about the fainting. I felt really bad about hiding stuff from her, my best friend, yet I couldn't tell her about Edward. I just couldn't. Not yet, anyway. I didn't even know if he was real.

"You fainted again?" she asked and I nodded slowly. "But that's twice in one day, Bells. Do you think there's something seriously wrong?"

I shook my head this time. "No. The doctors have checked me over and the only thing that's wrong is the cut on my forehead."

She grimaced. "If you're sure-"

"I am. Really. I've just been feeling stressed with everything..." I shrugged. "Y'know."

"Yeah. I know," she said softly. "Oh, Bells, I'm really sorry for shouting back there. I just-"

"Don't worry," I interrupted. "I'm perfectly adapted to your tempers now."

She nudged me gently in the ribs. "Hey, I'm not _that_ bad."

I laughed half heartedly, suddenly feeling very tired. I could barely keep my eyelids open and I just wanted to escape into unconsciousness. I had no idea of the time but just knew that I needed sleep.

"You look exhausted, Bells," Rose observed, once again showing her scary knowledge of my feelings. "I'll let you sleep. Do you know when you're being discharged?"

"Tomorrow morning, I think."

"I'll pick you up."

"What about school?" I asked, yawning involuntarily afterwards.

"You're more important."

I felt briefly warm and fuzzy. "Thanks Rose."

"No problem. See you tomorrow."

"Will do. Oh, and Rose?" She turned around and looked at me curiously. "Please don't tell anyone about this. I don't want any rumours going around."

"Don't worry about it," she replied reassuringly. "Just relax and get some sleep. You need it."

I mumbled something intelligible, before gratefully closing my eyes and_ finally_ getting some rest.

* * *

I woke up the next day and instantly knew that it was early; the light outside was bright and I could hear some birds tweeting cheerfully in the trees. After letting out a low groan and managing to sit myself upright, I glanced at the clock. 5am. _Ugh_. It wasn't_ right_ to be up that early.

As well as the wildlife, I could also hear the distant sound of people in the corridors and grumbled, feeling annoyed by the constant noise in the place. Thank _God_ I was going home later today. I had to visit Charlie as well...

After taking a sip of some water to soothe my raw throat, I made myself comfortable and decided to close my eyes for a while. My ears were buzzing strangely and I shivered, wrapping the covers further up to my neck. It was oddly cold in here and goose bumps quickly travelled along my arms.

A new shiver passed through me as I remembered when I'd last felt like this.

"Bella?"

Oh no. Please _no... _not again. Not now. He's not _real_.

Surely enough, when I opened my eyes, he was there again. _Edward_, as he called himself, was stood beside me, looking as beautiful and mysterious as ever.

I think my heart actually stopped beating for a moment from the shock.

He moved over towards the place where Rose had been sitting yesterday and leaned close to my face. Once again, I was amazed by what was happening; Jasper Whitlock's looks paled in comparison to his. So did Dr Cullen's, actually; Edward was just scarily beautiful. There really weren't enough words in my vocabulary to describe him, even if he wasn't real.

We stared silently at each other for a time that I couldn't even begin to measure. His eyes were wide and focused on mine, almost as though he could read my mind and was listening in to my frazzled thoughts.

"Are you alright?"

I frowned at him, somehow finding my voice. "I wouldn't be in a hospital if I was."

He looked momentarily surprised but a soft chuckle soon escaped his lips. The sound seemed to raise the hairs on the back of my neck. "You have quite an attitude."

My eyebrows rose. "Excuse me, but that's a little rude."

He grinned again, as though he was enjoying our exchange. "I apologise. But anyway, you need to answer my question."

I groaned heavily, making sure nobody was hovering outside. "I've been better."

He paused for a moment, looking at my forehead. I was beginning to feel a tad self conscious, but he soon murmured, "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Scared me?" I retorted, scoffing. "You frightened the life out of me!"

He stared at me, unblinking, and I realised the true extent to what I'd just said. The words tumbled out of my mouth again without regards for any kind of filter. "Are you still alive?"

His gaze shifted to the floor and he leaned back silently, thinking to himself. I wasn't even sure if he was actually capable of producing thoughts.

_God, what the hell am I on about? He's not even real! I must be going insane now, I'm having a conversation with him..._

But... he had appeared three times now. He couldn't just do that by coincidence.

Even if my mind was messed up, I could at least enjoy his presence while it lasted. He certainly had my interest, despite the fact that even thinking of what he was made me shiver with fear.

"I'm sorry. That was really insensitive. I-"

"I think I'm still alive, Bella," he said quietly. My mouth fell open and I looked at him in surprise. _Still alive?_

"But-"

He cut me off. "I'm glad you're finally accepting my existence now, though."

His small smirk made my heart flutter but I averted my eyes to the sheets. "You don't know that."

"I know it must have been a little worrying to see me," he began and I quickly snorted.

"Do you realise how scary it was?" I asked. "I thought I was going insane. Actually, I probably am. Maybe you're still just a crazy hallucination."

"No, _Bella_!" His eyes screwed tight and the hands by his sides balled into fists. "Please don't say that... it's taken so long to find somebody who can actually _see_ me! Please just..."

He trailed off, looking so genuinely lost at that moment, and I instinctively wanted to reach out for his hand. Then again, I wondered if my attempt would just result in me flailing away at thin air.

That thought was slightly heartbreaking.

"Edward, you really need to-"

My voice broke off when I noticed Dr Cullen standing in the doorway. He quickly knocked on the door and poked his head through the space, giving me a warm smile.

"Good morning, Miss Swan."

I tried not to stare at my other company in the room when I returned his greeting. "Morning, Dr Cullen."

"_Carlisle_," he smiled, closing the door behind him. I managed a small smile.

"You're up early," he commented, standing by my side just a few inches in front of Edward. I swallowed nervously, peeking quickly at him. His face was neutral and it seemed as though he was tuning out of the conversation.

Even though he was a ghost _thing, _he was pretty polite and considerate.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," I spluttered, rubbing absently at my eyes.

"And how do you feel?" he queried, writing something down on a clipboard that was in his hands. He glanced up at me and I just about forced another smile.

"Good, I think."

"Is your head sore at all?"

"Not really," I answered honestly. "I feel fine, actually."

That wonderful smile appeared on his face again and he very obviously ticked something on his clipboard. "When's your friend taking you home?"

"10am."

"Well, I advise that you get some more sleep if you can."

I smiled wryly. I most definitely wouldn't be getting any more shuteye now that Edward had appeared again. I glanced over to check that he was still there and he hadn't moved; he still held the same posture and look on his face as before.

"I'll check on you one more time before you're discharged," he told me.

"Thanks for everything," I said, genuinely grateful for his compassion and concern.

"It's my job," he smiled. "Now, please have some rest."

I watched him walk out the room and waited until he was right out of view down the corridor before turning towards Edward. To my surprise and slight annoyance, he was shaking his head.

"What?" I frowned.

"Nothing," he sighed, pulling his gaze to meet mine.

"No," I said, sitting further upwards. "Tell me." Silence. "_Now_."

"You can be quite bossy sometimes," he grumbled, although the lopsided smirk was in place again.

"Yeah? Well... you can be quite ghostly sometimes."

His expression turned to stone. Once again I'd gone and said the wrong thing.

Cue forehead slap.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"I wouldn't say that I'm a ghost."

"What are you then?" I countered.

"I really don't know." He didn't say anything for a long time and I decided to prompt him. "You said you thought you were still alive..."

He lifted up his hand and moved it as though he was about to run his fingers through his hair. However, he let out an exasperated sigh and met my gaze with tortured eyes. "I keep forgetting that I can't feel things anymore."

I frowned. "You can't?"

"No. It just feels like I'm pushing through air. But I'm always cold," he sighed. "Always freezing cold."

This strange ghost _thing_ that I didn't even know already had me feeling sympathy towards him, and I still wasn't sure if he was truly real.

"I felt cold the first time I saw you," I said, and a small hint of interest flashed across his features.

"Really?"

"Yeah. And it happened again before you turned up here again."

"Huh," was his response and it was obvious that neither of us had an explanation. I still felt awful for him because he couldn't feel anything except the cold; that must be horrible.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on?" I asked after a few minutes' silence. He took a deep breath and met my gaze once more with those dazzling green eyes. It was a little scary to think that he might actually be real...

"I guess I have to," he sighed. "Especially if I'm going to need your help."

That thought filled me with dread but I nodded, keeping my face calm. Well, _reasonably _calm.

"Alright then," I said, taking in a deep breath. "Tell me everything."


	4. When He Explained Everything

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Four – When He Explained Everything_

"I don't really know where to start," he sighed, blowing out a long breath which I felt nothing of on my face. His eyes were cast downwards but I could clearly see his furrowed eyebrows, casting a shadow over his troubled face. I didn't like seeing him so unhappy; despite his strange appearance and the fear that flooded me whenever he appeared, the expression he was currently sporting was almost unbearable. He seemed in despair; complete and utter despair, as though whatever memories he was recollecting were too painful for him.

Was _I_ the cause of all this? I was being incredibly nosey, after all... It wasn't really any of my business. He was only a stranger to me. A ghostly stranger.

No. _No_, I needed to know what was happening. Even he'd said so himself; I needed to know everything so that I could_ help_ him.

"Try the beginning," I replied softly, wanting to be as careful and tentative as possible. "I know it's hard, but you really need to tell me everything."

He looked up to meet my gaze and his eyes looked glassy and distant, as though his thoughts were a million miles away. They probably were.

"Bella," he sighed. "I'm sorry to be such a burden. I just-"

He trailed off a little helplessly and I waited patiently for him to find the words he so desperately wanted to say.

"I just couldn't find anybody else out there," he finally added, shrugging his shoulders. "Like I said before, you're the only person who can see me."

"You're for my eyes only," I murmured quietly.

"Yeah," he breathed. "For your eyes only. How cheesy does that sound?"

I smiled a little at that, but wasn't quite sure why. There was probably one reason why only I could see him, and I still feared that it was down to my insanity.

But could Edward prove to me that he was really real? Well,_ if_ he was real. Ugh, this was becoming _way_ too confusing...

"I can remember everything that happened perfectly clearly," Edward continued, pulling my attention to him. "It was only two days ago, after all."

My eyes widened a little in an involuntary response. So soon?

"I was walking home in the dark, a little late because I had a few things to do," he said quickly. However, despite his speed, my curiosity was heightened.

"What things?" I asked.

He frowned. "Well, after school I stayed behind in the music department, practising playing the piano. I don't have one at my flat so had to use the one there."

I raised my eyebrows in pleasant surprise. "You play?"

He nodded. "Well... I used to be able to. I don't know if I'll be able to again." He stretched out his fingers in front of him and his eyes were quickly filling with the familiar sorrow. I hastily moved on. "Did you do anything else?"

He looked uncomfortable but still answered. "I... I had been to my family lawyer's office. I..." he hesitated. "I had to collect a few things."

I remained silent so he quickly continued. "My... my mother had recently passed away and left me a few things in her will which I had to collect."

He spoke in a rush and my heart flooded with sympathy. "Oh, Edward," I sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah," he muttered.

The atmosphere around us was thick with tension and I had to shift around uncomfortably in my bed. I had momentarily forgotten where I was and blinked in a daze, remembering what had happened before; it felt like a lifetime ago.

My thoughts soon moved back to Edward when his haunting voice echoed once more around the room.

"She left me a few necklaces," he muttered quietly, almost in contempt. "I knew we weren't particularly close or anything, but all she passed on was two gold necklaces. I guess I was the only one left to give them to. A last resort. There's nobody else left, after all."

I looked at him a little blankly, surprised by the turn in the conversation.

"There was no mention of the house we lived in before her death so I had to move out and find a place to stay with my savings before I was kicked out by force. It wasn't my home anymore," he continued. "Luckily I found my own flat and quickly settled in there."

"You were living with your mother?" I asked. "But it sounds as though you didn't like her."

"I didn't particularly. But I couldn't let her live on her own; she wasn't very well, and I was the only person who could look after her."

I had_ so_ many more questions to ask him but the words wouldn't quite come out. Besides, I'd probably only make things worse and it seemed inappropriate, anyway. Maybe I'd find out the answers in time.

"Anyway," he continued quietly, "I was just making my way home with the necklaces in my pocket and I took the usual shortcut to my flat, walking along a pavement of a pretty deserted street. The part of the town was a little rundown with shops out of business, litter everywhere; you know the type of place. No one ever hangs around there. I _was_ going to make a comment about it being a ghost town, but that seems wrong..."

I nodded slowly while he smiled wryly.

"Why did you walk through that place?" I asked. "It sounds horrible."

"It saved me some time, I guess."

His explanation wasn't very satisfying but I nodded once more, letting him carry on.

"I was there on my own and..." He trailed off, swallowing. "I... I was walking across the road and... well, it came out of nowhere."

His eyes glazed over and I knew he wasn't in this room anymore.

"The car, I-I can't even remember what it looked like... it was speeding _so_ fast. I hadn't even registered what had happened when it hit me. It was only when I was lying on the ground and watching two hooded people hovering over me that I realised I'd been hit over.

"They looked so tall, standing over my body like they did. I couldn't make out their faces; I-I was too dazed. I can remember the pain slowly numbing through my body... my leg was causing me absolute _agony_. I think it was broken. My head hurt, too, and I was losing a grip on reality when... when I felt them unzipping my jacket."

He paused, closing his eyes shakily.

"I knew what they were doing but didn't have the strength to stop them. It seemed like so much effort to raise an arm or try to make a sound... But they stole the necklaces. They stole everything I had left of my mother. They took my wallet too, everything I had." He took a deep breath. "They left me there, completely helpless, and all I can remember was gradually losing conscious and wondering what awaited me... I think I regained consciousness at one point because a woman was standing above me, asking my name. It was the last thing I can remember doing, muttering my own name. I was so s-scared." His voice shook and I realised at that moment that my throat was tight and tears were falling freely down my face. I sniffed and produced a horrible sob.

"E-Edward," I sighed, wanting nothing more than to reach out and hold him. "I'm so, so sorry... that's terrible... I-"

He couldn't make any sound; just sat there silently, looking at me a little hopelessly.

"I'm sorry," I whispered once more. "Sorry."

"I was unconscious for a long time, and I thought it was the end. There was just darkness and I wasn't really aware of anything," he murmured, not meeting my eyes. "But... but then something weird happened."

I looked at him in curiosity; I was terrified but still intrigued to find out more.

"There was this sudden brightness of some sort and... well, then I was just hovering above my body. But I wasn't on the road anymore, I was in a hospital."

I frowned. "This hospital?"

He didn't answer. "I was hovering above my own body, watching a group of doctors checking me over. I tried my hardest to get their attention, waving my hands in front of their faces, yelling, but nobody even twitched. I was completely invisible to everyone and couldn't do anything. It was like I didn't exist anymore."

"Edward," I said sternly. "Are you in _this_ hospital?"

He remained silent.

"_Edward_?" I persisted.

He sighed. "I think so, but-"

My mind was in overdrive. Edward was claiming that his real body was currently here in _this_ very hospital. The thought made my heart thump wildly. Maybe I could go and see him and make sure that he was really _real..._

"You can't see me," he said suddenly, looking straight at me. "I don't want you seeing me."

"Why not?" I frowned.

"Because..." he stammered. "Because it wouldn't be right."

"Edward, I should see you. I need to."

"Why should you?" he protested. "I don't _want_ you to."

"Why not?" I countered.

"Because I'm not in the right state to be seen," he said quietly. "And I don't _want_ you to. Can't you just accept that?"

He sounded frustrated, so I let out a long sigh. "I still don't understand why you need my help, Edward."

"Well, you're the only one who can see me," he said slowly.

"_Yes_, we've been through all that," I replied, growing a little impatient.

"You don't understand how much that means to me. I searched the whole day through all of Forks, trying my hardest for somebody to notice me... do you realise how frustrating that was?"

My expression softened and I exhaled. "No... sorry. It must have been horrible."

"As a last resort I went to your high school. I don't even like those places... too many people." He shuddered lightly. "But then you saw me and, well, I felt so much hope! I don't even know why, but just _somebody_ seeing me was an unbelievable experience. It was like I still existed."

I smiled briefly.

"I'm so sorry for scaring you in the process but, well, I couldn't really do anything else." He paused. "I didn't want to make you crash your truck. Or faint." He looked like he was fighting a smile.

"I know." My voice came out in a sigh. "But I don't understand... why exactly do you need my _help_?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Well I... argh!" He went to run his fingers through his hair then stopped, remembering that he couldn't. "It doesn't really sound like such a great idea now."

"Just say it," I pleaded. "Please."

"I need you to go to the police station."

My heart rate picked up. "Wh-What? Why?"

"Bella, I _really _need those necklaces back," he sighed. "I feel awful enough about my mother already and it... it just feels wrong thinking that somebody else has them. My mind won't rest."

I nodded slowly in understanding; that was reasonable. "But what am I supposed to do?"

He leaned closer towards me; whether it was a conscious action I wasn't sure. "Maybe you could give them some details about what happened."

"But I wasn't there," I countered. "How am I...?"

"I'd be there with you. I'd give you the details and you'd pass them on to the police."

"So..." I said slowly, "you want me to _pretend_ that I was a witness?"

He nodded and I placed my head in my hands. Lying to the police... it just seemed wrong.

But Edward seemed so desperate...

"But what about that woman who found you? Why can't she do something?"

"She wouldn't be any help," he sighed. "She didn't witness anything. I've never seen her since, anyway. I don't think she wanted to get involved."

I thought to myself for a moment and realised now that I no longer had any doubt about his existence. My imagination most definitely wouldn't have come up with this. It was too intricate and detailed; I wasn't that creative or disturbed. And now I was feeling horribly sorry for Edward; it was horrific thinking about all that he'd been through. Why had I been pulled into his misfortunes, though? I couldn't really understand why.

I hated being selfish, but couldn't stop myself. Despite this, I wanted to see what would happen.

In the back of my mind, the fact that the real Edward might be in this very hospital kept prickling away. I could see him... I could-

"Bella?"

I blinked, realising that Edward was waiting for me to say something.

"I... I... sorry, this is all too much for me."

I rubbed at my eyes, suddenly feeling very tired. I had a whole day ahead of me and I had to somehow visit Charlie... all these thoughts constantly whirling around in my head certainly didn't help.

"And I can't apologise enough about burdening this on you," he said, only a few inches away from me now. "But you have to understand that you're my only chance. It's only you that can communicate with the police and give me the chance of getting my mother's necklaces back."

His smooth voice made me close my eyes. "But what happens if you do get them back?" I frowned, looking at him. "What happens then, after that?"

He looked at me for a long time. "I don't know."

"How bad are your injuries?" I persisted. "Have you any idea?"

He shook his head. "I... please don't."

"Sorry," I murmured. "There's just so much I don't know!"

"And over time I'm sure you'll find out."

There was a small smile playing on his lips. How long was he planning on being around? That thought made my stomach flutter a little and I wasn't quite sure why.

My thoughts trailed off in another random direction; was there really life after death, then? Did everybody just come back as ghosts that only certain people could see?

The possibility made my skin tingle.

Then I remembered. I'd used the word _death. _I wasn't sure if Edward was actually dead yet...

"I'll help you," I said quietly, reaching a decision. "But you'll have to give me some more details sometime."

He nodded. "Thank you so much, Bella."

I was already loving the sound of my name coming from his voice. It made goose bumps crawl along my skin each and every time, and I needed to suppress a shiver.

I had no idea what this meant and that scared me a little.

"You wouldn't have to go there just yet," he said, smiling. "I know you're tired and shocked, mainly because of me."

"Understatement," I muttered, causing a breathy laugh to escape his lips.

"But thank you," he murmured. "This means so much."

I met his eyes. "I really am sorry about what happened."

He didn't reply, just stared at me; I wondered if he was really seeing me.

"When's your friend coming?" he asked after a while and I frowned, looking at the clock.

"Oh, a few hours yet," I replied.

"Well, I'll let you sleep," he said. "If you can."

I snorted. "I doubt I'll be able to."

He smiled. "See you later. And thank you."

I looked at him; he wasn't moving at all and I felt a little uncomfortable closing my eyes around him. Despite this, I did so but didn't get any sleep at all. I kept opening my eyes every few minutes, still seeing him there, staring absently ahead. I couldn't help thinking that he'd maybe explored the hospital a few times, looking at his real body.

He was so beautiful, but looked so tortured.

I kept thinking through all that he had told me and couldn't even _begin_ to think what pain he'd experienced. I had the horrible feeling that I would let him down and that the police wouldn't find the criminals. It must be terrible for him, being so helpless and unable to do anything.

He was completely relying on me.

That thought didn't really help with the sleeping.

I opened my eyes after a while, fed up with being in the darkness. I looked straight at Edward and smiled, a gesture that he returned weakly.

"Your friend will be here soon," he said. He looked a little awkward and hesitant.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked. "Well, despite the obvious."

I felt guilty about adding that, but he didn't seem too bothered.

"I... erm... well, thinking about it, I might need to... y'know." He trailed off, shrugging.

"What?"

"If I'm going to be with you then I'll... well, I might need to follow you to your house."

My eyes widened.

"I mean, er, I wouldn't have to live there... I could-"

"No, Edward," I interrupted, slowly thinking it through. "That makes sense. I think it would be... okay."

I wasn't sure whether the thought was disturbing me, but realised that it was the only way.

I'd be living with a ghost.

"Sorry," he sighed. "All I've done is bring you trouble."

"Don't worry. It's fine. Stop apologising."

He didn't look convinced but remained quiet. There was a sudden knock on the door and I noticed Rose standing outside. She smiled at me and walked in, completely oblivious to Edward. I gave him a subtle look and he just smiled crookedly.

"Hey, Bells, how are you feeling?"

"Great, actually," I half lied. "Can't wait to leave."

"Let's go, then," she replied, helping me upright. I was pleased that I wasn't too dizzy and gave Edward another look as I gathered my stuff together; he was staring at the floor this time.

"Hasn't a doctor got to discharge me first?" I asked, frowning to her.

"We'll see someone at the reception," she replied.

I nodded along, taking another look at Edward; I couldn't stop myself. We walked out of the doors and towards the main area, and were greeted by a middle aged lady with bright red hair at the counter. I quickly checked and was surprised to see Edward standing there right beside me; I had to remain calm and gave Rose a small smile.

"Bella's ready to be checked out," she told the woman.

"What's your full name?" she asked.

"Bella Swan," I told her. She frowned and I quickly added, "Well it's Isabella Swan, really."

After quickly checking something, she smiled. "Sure, that's fine. Can you just sign this, please?"

She pushed a book towards me and, before I signed it, I looked absently around and noticed a whiteboard with a list of patients checked in over the past few days. I squinted closer and gasped.

At the top of the list was the name Edward Cullen.

I had to take a moment to catch my breath.

I somehow managed to scrawl my name down and shakily walked towards the doors. Edward was by my side and he gave me a meaningful look. I knew now, and he knew that I knew. He was real; this wasn't some strange trick of my mind.

I felt like crying, but just about made it to Rose's car without crumbling.


	5. When They Went Home

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Five - When They Went Home_

I hardly spoke a word on the journey home.

I wasn't sure if Rose had noticed or not, but she seemed perfectly happy when we reached my house and was asking my opinion about an outfit she'd bought for the infamous party tonight. I nodded along enthusiastically, but kept automatically glancing at Edward who was looking at us both in apparent amusement. He rolled his eyes a lot, calling Rose what sounded suspiciously like a bimbo and I frowned towards him, resisting a smile. I didn't particularly mind that Rose was being so self-indulgent at this point (I was fed up with the attention being on me actually), but it was a little tiring after a while.

"I hate to say it, Bells," she began after cutting the engine, "but word's got around about the crash. Most of the school know."

A groan escaped my lips.

"Sorry, I couldn't really do anything about it."

"I know. It's not your fault." I stared ahead for a moment, making patterns out of the stains on the car's windscreen. A sudden thought popped into my head. "Hey, what happened to my truck, anyway?"

"I'm not sure," she frowned. "I'll find out for you."

"Thanks."

My hand moved to the door handle and I slowly stepped outside. Rose followed me to the front of the house and, after a quick look around, I saw that Edward was reluctantly following us, seeming a little uncomfortable. He was constantly fidgeting with his hands, an action that must have been infuriating for him, considering his touch was non-existent.

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?" Rose asked, lingering while I fumbled for my keys.

"I'll call you if anything's wrong," I assured her.

"You were supposed to call me last time and _that _never happened."

I ignored her and quickly opened the door. I walked inside and waited for Edward to hover in too. He was a little hesitant as always but eventually did so, still looking awkward and dawdling. Despite this, he glanced around, taking in his surroundings. It was a little weird to think that he was looking at my things but I tried my best to focus on Rose.

"Have a great time tonight," I said to her. "Don't get too drunk."

She laughed. "I can't make any promises. Although Emmett's not coming along now so I probably won't stay too long."

"Why isn't he going?"

"Oh, he got grounded," she replied quietly.

"What for?"

"You don't wanna know," she muttered, grinning a little.

"That's right, I actually don't," I laughed. "Anyway, thanks again, Rose and enjoy yourself. I'll speak to you over the weekend."

"Will do," she smiled. "And I hope it goes well with Charlie."

Slowly closing the door behind me, I let out a long breath and turned around to face Edward, surprised to find that I actually couldn't see him. I rushed forwards, looking around in the kitchen and up the stairs. Turning desperately towards the lounge, I sighed in relief, finding him there by the cabinet.

"God, don't disappear like that!" I cried, running a hand through my hair.

His head turned towards me. "Oh, sorry. I just wanted to have a look around."

I could feel my face flushing. "Feel free but some things are private, you know. Bear that in mind."

He seemed to ignore my reply because he pointed towards a framed photograph, making me wince. "Is that you?"

"Maybe."

"How old were you there?"

I sighed, sitting down on the sofa. "I was seven."

He seemed to be squinting, taking a closer look. "Are you with your mother and father?"

It was becoming uncomfortable for me so I just gave a tight nod, standing up and heading back towards the kitchen for some water. His voice found me, though, and it made me shiver as usual.

"Where are they now?" he asked. "I get the impression that you live here on your own..."

"Edward," I said, my voice sounding strangely firm. "I don't want to talk about this."

He nodded and, after a pause, asked, "Who's Charlie, then?"

"Do you have to ask so many questions?" I snapped, whirling around to face him.

"You asked me a lot of questions earlier," he replied. "Surely I can do the same."

"No," I frowned. "No you can't._ I'm_ the one doing _you _a favour here... you can't push me around with personal questions! I barely even know you! You're a ghost, for God's sake! This... this is just crazy!"

His eyes widened at my sudden outburst and my face began heating up, probably growing pink. I took a long sip of my water and, after taking a deep breath, sat down in the lounge again. We were silent for a long time and the only sound I could hear was the steady ticking of the clock. I counted exactly one hundred seconds before he spoke.

"Sorry, Bella."

"Thank you," I replied quietly.

"How's your head, now?" he asked, clearly making an attempt to change the subject. I was grateful.

"It's fine, actually," I replied honestly. "Hasn't been bothering me at all."

A crooked smile crept onto his lips and I took a long look at him. I could actually see that he seemed a lot happier now, if that was really possible. Perhaps happy wasn't the right word... hopeful was more accurate. It was subtle, but his eyes seemed to sparkle a bit more now, something that made my stomach feel light.

"So what are your plans for today?"

His question took me by surprise. "I'm... er, I'm going to see somebody."

"Charlie?"

"Yeah. He's my father but I always call him that out of habit."

He didn't ask any more questions and I was suddenly feeling an urge to tell him more. It was easier talking about Charlie but when it came to Mom, it was physically impossible and quite painful.

I remained silent, debating to myself, as he continued to look around him. He seemed fascinated by all the photographs and also, oddly enough, the pillows on the sofa. After a few minutes, I decided to tell him. He'd revealed a lot of personal details about himself to me, so I kind of felt obliged to do the same.

I honestly believed it would make me feel better, too.

"He's in rehab at the moment for an addiction to alcohol," I explained in a rush. "I visit him every Friday night to see how he's doing."

"Oh," was Edward's reply and, from the look on his face, it was clear that what I had told him was the last thing he expected. "I'm sorry to hear that, Bella."

"Thanks." I paused. "He's doing well, though."

"How long has he been there? If you don't mind me asking," he quickly added.

"Just over a year. He might be out soon, though. It depends."

He frowned. "And you've been here on your own all that time?" I nodded. "How have you coped?"

"I just get on with it. And Rose comes around every now and then." I added with a shrug. After a moment's pause, I murmured, "I guess I've got you now, too. For company, y'know. That's all."

He smiled, his eyes softening. "You have."

For once, I wasn't feeling cold around him; a warm glow was spreading through my body, mostly focusing in my chest. Despite this, I managed to continue talking. "You were on your own too, though. You must know what it's like."

"Well I wasn't technically on my own," he replied quietly. "I was with my mother."

"Hmm," I murmured, unwilling to carry on any further. I was sure there was a lot he was keeping from me, but that wasn't my business. "Anyway, I'm getting something to eat." I stood up, heading towards the kitchen. "Um, is there anything you'd like me to do for you? Shall I put the TV on?"

He looked helpless for a brief moment but then nodded halfheartedly. "Yeah, that actually sounds... great."

I flicked on a random channel and he stared at the screen silently. I wished there was more I could do, but I really was trying my best.

* * *

Edward was strangely mute for the rest of the afternoon, quietly watching the television. I was curious about what he was thinking, but at the same time really didn't want to know.

The clock gradually crept towards five and, half an hour before, I was fully dressed, wearing my usual clothes when it came to this time of the week. I had on my black jeans and checked shirt, as well as a necklace Charlie had given me a few years ago; it was actually a locket with a picture of us both inside from my sixteenth birthday party. I always have it on as some kind of symbol and it makes me feel closer to him.

Slipping on my sneakers, I could feel Edward's eyes on me and eventually looked up to see him staring, a strange expression on his face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

He blinked, snapping out of his trance. "No. No, you just... you look... nice."

It was my turn to oggle. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I muttered, "Oh. Well, er... thank you."

He smiled briefly, turning his attention back towards the TV.

"I shouldn't be too long," I told him, reaching for my coat.

"Are you getting a taxi?"

"Yeah, seeing as my truck has mysteriously disappeared."

"It's probably at a garage somewhere," he pondered. "Although it's likely that the police took it away."

"Fantastic," I muttered. "Anyway, I'll be back in about an hour." There was the sound of a horn beeping from outside. "Ooh, that's good timing."

He smiled. "Do you... um, well do you want me to come with you?"

I thought about this for a moment. "No offence or anything, Edward, but I'd rather go on my own. It's something that's really personal to me."

He nodded. "That's fine. I understand. I'll just..." He raised his arms in uncertainty. "I'll just sit here for the time."

"If you're really bored you could go to the school party," I suggested.

He visibly shuddered. "Certainly not. I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a knife."

I blinked at his disturbing image. "Oh. Alright then."

A smirk played on his lips. "Sorry, that's disgusting."

"Yes," I grinned. There was another horn from outside. "Anyway, I'll see you later." I paused by the door, my hand on the knob. "Sorry."

"It's no problem. Have a nice time."

That was highly unlikely but I thanked him anyway. When I was making my way towards the taxi, I thought of how surreal my life had suddenly become. I had just been talking to a ghost... teasing him, even.

And I'd liked it.

The taxi drove off and I sighed, glancing back towards the house. I swear I could see Edward watching me in the window and I contemplated giving him a small wave.

Then I thought against it, wondering what the driver would think. Waving to thin air is probably filed under insanity.

* * *

The visit with Charlie went well, but it was mostly exhausting.

Of course the first thing he spotted was the great big cut and stitches on my forehead and he immediately demanded an explanation of how that happened. After telling him all about that, he gave me a rather long lecture about careful driving and I had to just nod along, trying to look interested.

I was supposed to be there to find out about_ him_ but he was there revolving the conversation around _me_.

Eventually, I managed to find out how he was doing and he seemed positive. He'd had a good week, apparently, and even the workers around us thought he'd be leaving soon. He hadn't touched a drop of alcohol for over six months now.

I was so proud of him. I couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult it all was.

Walking back through the door, I reached in my pocket for the key. It took a lot of time to find the actual hole, mainly because it was so dark, but when I'd eventually managed to do so, I stumbled inside, flicking on a few lights along the way.

"Edward?" I called.

I waited for a few moments but there was no reply. The silence in the house was quite eerie; all I could hear again was the irritating sound of the clock.

"Edward?" I repeated, louder this time. I took off my coat and walked into the lounge, not seeing him there. The TV was still on, though, and I frowned, looking in all the other rooms. I explored the kitchen, the bathroom, all the bedrooms, the basement.

Everywhere.

He was nowhere to be seen.

My heart began pounding and I yelled out once more, purely out of desperation. I looked in all the rooms once more just to check, but it was a waste of time. I even resorted to checking the back garden and around the front with my torch.

Despite all my efforts, it soon became clear that he had well and truly disappeared, and I felt terribly scared.

"_Edward__!"_


	6. When She Waited

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Six – When She Waited_

I stayed in the lounge all night, unable to sleep.

I spent most of the time pacing back and forth, anxiously nibbling away at my fingernails. It was stupid really, getting so worried about a strange ghost who I hardly even knew, but I couldn't deny the horrible feeling at the pit of my stomach. I felt sick the entire time and regularly had to take deep breaths to calm myself.

The curtains were twitching every half hour and I squinted out into the darkness, praying to see his outline. I longed to see those familiar green eyes and that wild head of hair, but there was no sign for the whole night.

Over twelve hours passed and, at 9am the next day, I started to cry. I couldn't even _begin_ to fathom why I was feeling this way but it felt as though someone really precious and close to me had disappeared and dread flooded my body.

Something _really_ bad must have happened to him.

I stood up and mechanically walked into the kitchen, trying, and failing, to not think too much. My mind whirled around in circles; I kept telling myself that Edward had no other place to go and I didn't want to figure out _why_ he had left. My home seemed comfortable enough...

Unless... he didn't like it here anymore?

Maybe he had suddenly come to his senses and hovered away, never to see me again.

If that was _really_ an option, he could have at least said goodbye.

As I was pouring my cereal, I was surprised to find myself crying again. My head felt extremely sore today and made me feel even worse. My hands shook when I tried to raise the cornflakes into my mouth and, as I chewed on the pieces of cardboard, my stomach turned once more and I very nearly threw up into the sink.

What on Earth was _wrong _with me?

No, what was wrong with_ Edward_?

That afterthought made me wince and I hurried into the lounge again, switching on the television as a way of distraction. It was a Saturday and I had nothing else to do, so I flicked through the channels randomly, not really caring what was on the screen. I settled for a strange looking cartoon and tried to find it funny, but I couldn't concentrate. Everything made me think of him.

The main character had messy hair. Another had green eyes. Another wore similar clothes to him.

I just couldn't take it anymore.

My heart almost stopped beating when the doorbell suddenly rang and it took me a few moments to compose myself; I was a nervous wreck. I switched the TV off and headed towards the front, slowly pulling open the handle.

I sighed in disappointment when I saw that it was Mrs Newton, a rather nosey neighbour of mine. Just what I needed.

"Hi," I muttered quietly, not in the mood at _all_.

"Hello there, dear," she said in her usual patronising way. "How are you feeling? I heard about the accident."

"I'm fine, thank you," I replied steadily. "Just a bit sore."

"Yes, your head does look quite nasty," she said slowly, making an obvious show of staring at my forehead. After a few seconds, I became uncomfortable.

"How's your father?" she asked eventually, leaning against the doorway. I tried not to roll my eyes at her.

"He's great." I wasn't going to give her any more information; she'd never even spoken to Charlie before his rather public entry into rehab and I knew _exactly_ why she wanted all the news. Her friends were probably waiting a few yards away in a car, armed with binoculars.

"Well... that's good," she mumbled, clearly dissatisfied. "Anyway, I'd best be off. Mike needs me to take him to soccer practise."

"Lovely."

"See you later, Isabella."

My teeth ground together as I closed the door. This was going to be a _very_ long day.

* * *

By midday, I didn't know what to do with myself.

The morning had felt like an entire day and I felt like a zombie. I'd caught a brief glance of myself in the mirror and my reflection almost seemed to back up that comparison. My eyes were red raw and there were ugly looking bags underneath them. I was strangely pale and the healing wound on my forehead wasn't exactly pretty. On top of that, my hair looked wiry and a little greasy, but that was the least of my worries.

Out of sheer exasperation and desperation, I reached for the phone and rang the first person that came into my mind.

After a few rings, a quiet voice answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, Rose, it's Bella," I said, trying to sound cheerful.

There was a long pause, so long that I believed the line was faulty. "Hello?" I tried.

"Oh, sorry, Bella," she eventually murmured. Another pause. "How are you?"

I was really tired of people asking me that but I replied nonetheless. "I'm okay, thanks. How was that party last night?"

I might have imagined it, but I thought she sucked in a breath at that point. After a few moments she answered, a little cagily. "It was alright."

I waited, expecting some more details. None came. "Did you have fun?"

She sighed very heavily. "No. Not really."

"Oh?" I asked. She didn't say anything and I frowned to myself. "Rose, is something wrong?"

"I've broken up with Emmett, Bella, if you must know," she said in a rush and I cringed to myself.

"Oh no," I moaned.

"Yeah, so it wasn't the best night of my life."

Her cold tone was really surprising me. I knew she wasn't happy but_ I_ wasn't to blame with this at all. Despite this, I carried on normally. "Why did you break up?"

She paused once more, almost as though she was deliberating something. "I... ugh, this is gonna sound really bad."

"Spit it out."

"I... I got drunk and... and I kissed somebody. Somebody else."

My eyes widened in shock. "Oh my gosh, Rose! Who was it?"

"You wouldn't know him," she answered quickly. A little too quickly.

"Are you sure I wouldn't?" I persisted.

"No. He's not from our school."

"Why was he there, then?"

"For God's sake, Bella, you sound like a police interrogator! Give me a break... I don't need all this! My head is throbbing and now I've got you firing questions at me! I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

I would have staggered backwards if I wasn't sat down. "Oh."

"I've got to go," she muttered quietly, and the phone went dead.

Placing the phone slowly on the table, I felt my throat tighten once more. What exactly was I doing _wrong_?

* * *

At three in the afternoon, a sudden thought popped into my head and it continued nagging away for a full hour afterwards before I finally decided to act upon it.

Reaching for my coat, I quickly stepped outside and made my way down the path. The whereabouts of my truck was still a mystery but I had no intention of talking to Rose about that just yet. She had an apology to make and some _serious_ grovelling to do. I knew she slipped into dark moods sometimes but today... well, today was on another scale.

As I carried on walking down, I hurriedly put on my black hat, very much aware that the ugly cut on my head would undoubtedly attract some unwelcome attention.

I wasn't fully aware of just how far away the hospital was and it felt as though I'd run a marathon by the time I arrived. My legs ached and I nearly slumped right onto the reception desk, much to the amazement of the woman waiting for me. She clearly recognised me and squinted. "Weren't you here yesterday?"

I nodded. "Uh, yeah I was. But I'm here to visit a friend today."

"OK," she said slowly. "What's your friend's name?"

"Um... it's Edward Cullen," I replied shiftily. I felt guilty for some reason and tried to ignore that feeling.

She checked what looked like a register and I waited in agitation, fully aware of the fact that Edward didn't want me to see him at all.

But I was desperate now and he wasn't here to see.

"Are you sure you want to see him?" she asked suddenly, taking me out of my trance. "From what it says here, he's not in a good way. And he's been here a few days now – why haven't you been here sooner?"

I swallowed anxiously. "I... um, I only heard about his accident today. I was pretty shocked."

"Well, I can certainly understand that," she muttered. "He's on floor six at the moment but it's best if you talk to a doctor before. I'm sure there will be one up there with him." She paused. "Prepare yourself, though, he's had some really terrible injuries."

"OK," I mumbled quietly. "Th-thank you."

The walk to the elevator felt like the longest one of my life. It felt as though everybody should be looking at me and glaring in shame but, as I looked around, they were all tending to their own business. People were waiting patiently in the white, plastic seats, and others were limping around with crutches.

What else should I have really expected?

I waited patiently for the doors to open and, once they did, I was a little surprised to hear a voice behind me, calling for me to save the elevator. I did so and was even more surprised to see Dr Cullen heading towards me, carrying a pile of papers and seeming a bit flustered. He quickly stepped inside and, after taking two looks in my direction, recognised me and smiled.

"Miss Swan," he said warmly. "How are you today?"

I might have been imagining it, but he looked very tired and stressed; a lot like me, actually. His eyes were red and sore, a reflection of my own. He probably had a lot more worries, though, and I felt a twinge of sympathy for him.

Quickly realising that he was waiting for me to say something, I smiled. "Hi, Dr Cullen. I'm pretty good, thank you. Healing up nicely."

He looked genuinely pleased and the smile he returned made the skin around his eyes crinkle. "That's great to hear. Have you been in much pain?"

"No, no," I replied. "I've got a pretty high pain threshold, actually."

He chuckled. "That makes a change. Most patients here tend to moan about the tiniest of needle pricks."

"That must get annoying."

"Yes, it did after the first hundred times."

We laughed together and I was startled when the doors suddenly opened again. I hovered around a little awkwardly and randomly gestured forwards. "Well, I'd better go."

His eyebrows pulled together. "Why are you here? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"A friend," I answered briefly. I watched him glance at the floor number and could have sworn that his eyes widened momentarily. Despite this, he still smiled and waved. "I... I hope your friend is well."

"Thank you." I hesitated. "Uh, bye!"

The doors closed on him and I turned around, suddenly very stuck about what to do. I'd gotten this far now and couldn't really turn back... but I still felt as though I was betraying him. I was deliberately going against his wishes... he hadn't wanted me to see his physical body.

Even though this thought was dominant in my mind, I persisted down the eerily quiet corridor, passing a few doors along the way. I eventually found a doctor and took a deep breath.

"Excuse me?"

He turned around and headed towards me, a quizzical look on his aged face. "Can I help you?"

"Um, yes," I smiled. "I'm looking to see Edward Cullen?"

He seemed a little flummoxed. "Are you a friend of his?"

I nodded.

"Nobody seems to have visited him lately," he pondered. "It's been a few days since he first came in and there's been no sign of anyone."

This saddened me. "Yeah, there's... there's nobody left. I mean, he's the only person left in his family."

His face remained neutral, a skill of the job I guessed. "Alright. I shouldn't really let you visit without proof, but in this case I'll let it go. This way please."

I followed him down a corridor that seemed to last forever. My shoes clicked on the floor and I could hear his steady breathing; only just, though, because my heart was hammering so wildly that I could hear it in my ears.

We stopped outside a pair of double doors and on a sign above I could see the words 'Intensive Care.'

Things were bad, then.

"Now, this may come as a shock to you," he said slowly, almost as though I was a child. "But yesterday, Mr Cullen suffered a cardiac arrest."

My legs nearly buckled underneath me and the breath caught in my throat. I swayed on the spot and the doctor clutched at my arm, eyeing me carefully.

"Oh my goodness..." I whispered, my voice quivering. The shock had winded me; it all made sense now. Edward has disappeared because he'd... he'd...

Died.

He had actually momentarily _died_.

A sob escaped my lips and I clasped a hand over my mouth.

"I'm sorry to inform you like this," he continued. "But it's important that you know."

I couldn't quite speak, so he carried on.

"We managed to restart his heart and he's in a relatively stable condition at the moment but... his injuries are still severe. You need to prepare yourself, it's not going to be pleasant, Miss."

I nodded jerkily, still completely staggered.

He rested a hand on the door. "Are you ready?"

No. I never would be.

Just as I was opening my mouth, another voice coming from my right made a shiver tingle through my body.

"Bella, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

I slowly and mechanically turned my head to face the sound and gasped loudly.

"Edward..." I murmured.

His eyes were dark; the glare on his face was startling, almost terrifying. He was angry and I knew _exactly_ why. I was doing the thing he least wanted me to, and I couldn't even begin to imagine what he'd been through over the past few hours. He probably detested me right now.

Despite this, I was overwhelmingly pleased to see him.

"Bella, you need to leave," he ordered. "_Now_."

His voice was so cold and full of authority that goose bumps crawled along my skin. I stared at him open-mouthed for a long time, before turning towards the doctor, who was oggling at me with a strange expression.

"Sorry... I..." I fumbled around, jerking my thumb down the corridor. "I can't do this. Sorry. I... I'm going now. Sorry."

I hurried away from him, ignoring his voice calling back to me. He probably thought I was crazy, but that didn't mean a thing to me now. Edward was back.

By the time I stepped into the elevator with Edward sluggishly following behind, I was gasping for air and completely dazed.

"Edward..." I whispered, still aware of his disapproving expression. "What on Earth _happened_?"


	7. When They Reconciled

**Note: In this story it's Rosalie Hale and Jasper Whitlock. They're not related.**

**

* * *

****For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Seven - When They Reconciled_

His face didn't falter at all and he just stared ahead, his green eyes now seeming cold. I knew I wasn't going to get an explanation anytime soon today; he was acting like a moody teenager and seemed to have forgotten that_ I_ was in the dark too.

Despite this, I still felt awful for what I had done.

"Edward, I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I know what I did was against your wishes, but I really didn't know what else to do! You disappeared and I was really worried! I-"

The elevator doors pinged open and he drifted ahead, not making a sound. I huffed and followed after him, watching in awe as he floated straight through the automatic doors, completely at ease. The people around us didn't flinch at all, but I jumped when somebody suddenly called my name.

"Miss Swan?"

I swivelled around to see the receptionist smiling at me warmly. "Sorry to bother you, but that was quick... how is your friend?"

"Um... he's good," I lied. "Thanks for the concern, but I'm actually in a bit of a rush..."

"Okay," she nodded. "See you soon."

"Yeah, sorry!"

I headed quickly towards the doors and gasped in alarm when I walked _straight_ into the glass with a loud thud. My nose twinged in pain and I clutched at my face desperately. Weren't these doors supposed to open _automatically_?

"Oh gosh, are you alright?"

The receptionist made her way over to me and, when I took my hands away from my face, I was shocked to see some blood there.

Great. _Another_ accident. Just _great_.

At this moment, I spotted Edward hovering outside and his shoulders were shaking strangely. It took me a moment to figure out why; he was laughing.

_Laughing_.

"We'd better get you to a doctor," the woman continued, leading me slowly to a seat. I knew my face was bright red and could feel myself slowly heating up from head to toe. I was lucky that nobody seemed to have noticed, or at least they had _pretended_ not to. Maybe they were secretly sniggering at me.

Just like the ghost who had just crept back to my side.

"I don't know what's so funny," I grumbled under my breath.

He snorted and I had to bit on my lip to stop myself from smiling; he really was _so _adorable when he did that...

"Karma really does exist," he smiled. "I guess you're forgiven now."

I realised that I couldn't hold a conversation with him here like this because people would basically think that I was talking to thin air (only _I_ can hear Edward, too) so I flipped out my mobile and pretended that I was speaking to somebody. Edward looked a little confused but eventually cottoned on, earning an eye roll.

"You're so slow."

He grunted.

"I am really sorry," I carried on. "I was just really worried... I needed to know what had happened to you."

"I know," he sighed. "I realise that now and it was a perfectly normal reaction. I should be the one saying sorry, Bella."

He met my eyes then and the corners of my lips pulled up. "No problem." I paused. "But... but do you mind me asking what actually happened? I know it's hard for you, but the man... well, the doctor said you actually... died for a bit."

My voice quivered towards the end and I half-wished I hadn't said it, because his face looked agonised.

"I don't actually know, Bella," he murmured. "There was this... this cold pain and then everything went black and I can't remember anything at all. It's like I completely ceased to exist. It was horrific."

I didn't say it aloud, but the reason why it was_ like_ he completely ceased to exist was because that had actually happened for the brief moment of time.

I couldn't really understand why he had disappeared for so long; it wasn't as though he would have died for a whole twelve hours, that was impossible. Then again, the whole ghost thing was impossible and I couldn't really question anything else.

I was just incredibly lucky to have him back. Again, I found myself wanting to hug him, but felt incredibly frustrated knowing I'd probably never be able to.

I should _really_ stop being so pessimistic.

"How is your nose, anyway?" Edward suddenly asked. He was squinting at my face and it made me feel very awkward. "It looks quite sore."

"It is," I grimaced. "I've got a matching cut now. They're fastly becoming accesories, by the looks of things."

"Well, you're bang on trend," he grinned. "Sorry," his smile faltered, "this isn't really a time to joke."

"The doors were supposed to _open_, though! _Open_!" I protested. "Maybe I should sue the hospital..."

"Bella Swan?"

I recognised the voice immediately and once again found myself standing in front of Dr Cullen. His face dropped a little at the sight of me; I didn't actually want to know what I looked like. I probably had a messy smear of scarlet across my face.

Quickly looking at Edward, I snapped my phone shut and headed over towards the doctor, who I was actually seeing a lot of lately. I wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not.

"Miss Swan, what on Earth happened?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

"I... erm, I walked into the door," I told him, a little lamely.

I could have sworn he was fighting a smile. "Oh dear. I'll have to take a look. Follow me."

I did so and Edward stayed by my side, taking a look around him. He didn't seem to recognise Dr Cullen, so my suspicions about them being related seemed to be wrong. It was awfully strange meeting two people with the same surname within such a short time, though. Cullen wasn't exactly the most common of all names...

"Take a seat," he said, while looking through some cupboards. "Fortunately, this time you're going to be conscious when I treat you. Last time you were completely still and... well, out of it, as they say."

I frowned. That felt like so long ago but it was only really yesterday. Or maybe the day before. I had no idea.

"Right, please hold still."

Dr Cullen's eyebrows furrowed together as he concentrated and I tried very hard not to stare at him while he treated me. He really was very handsome... like a blond version of Edward. Well, not really, but they were both pretty nice on the eyes...

Jasper Whitlock really did pale in comparison. Not that he mattered anymore.

"This might sting a little," he murmured, dabbing something between my eyes. I automatically cringed and sucked in a breath, but tried to remain as calm as I could. Again, I found myself wishing for contact with Edward; I really,_ really _wanted to hold his hand.

I sounded _so_ pathetic.

"Good news," he said, pulling away. "It's only a small cut so you won't need stitches this time. Just keep it clean and let it get some air. How's your forehead, by the way? It seems to be healing up nicely."

"It hasn't been a problem at all, as I said before," I answered, glancing at Edward. "I've had some... other worries."

I could tell Dr Cullen was curious but he didn't say anything.

"Well, that's it, really, I can't do anything else," he said, standing to smile at me. He was always looking so cheerful (apart from that moment before the elevator) and was really polite nearly all the time... how on earth did he do it? "Hopefully I won't have to see you in here anymore."

My eyes widened momentarily but, when he smirked and the true meaning sunk in, I grinned too. "Yeah, it's becoming a bit of an inconvenience."

He headed towards the door. "Have a nice day, Miss Swan. And please, be careful."

"Will do," I gushed. "Thank you, Dr Cullen."

"Carlisle," he corrected, closing the door behind him.

Edward and myself walked along the corridor. "Dr _Cullen_?" he frowned after a moment. "Are you being serious?"

"It is a little strange, but I'm guessing it's just a coincidence," I shrugged. "Do you recognise him at all?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Hmm."

We stopped by the doors and I backed away warily, waiting for them to open this time. When they did, I carefully stepped through, much to Edward's amusement. We started walking home together and, to my surprise, it was actually quite bright outside. The sun felt nice on my skin and I wondered if Edward could feel it too.

Maybe things _were_ going to get better... Maybe.

* * *

We arrived back home about half an hour later and Edward sighed. "I'm glad to be back here again."

"Me too," I admitted. It only occurred to me afterwards what his words meant.

After making myself some coffee, I sat in the lounge and flicked on the TV. We both stayed there silently for a while before Edward sat by me. "We'll need to talk about you going to the police sometime soon."

"Yeah." I hadn't really thought much about it; it was really the last thing I wanted.

"You do still want to do it, don't you?"

I nodded, a little reluctantly.

"You don't seem too enthusiastic..."

I looked up at him. "No. I'm just a bit scared... the police are really intimidating." I'd had bad experiences with them before and didn't ever want to voluntarily encounter them again... but it seemed as though I had no choice.

Edward seemed to be psychic. "Have you had problems before?"

"My mother," I murmured quietly, not wanting to offer any more.

He sat there quietly for a moment. "Sorry."

"So, what should I say?" I asked quickly. "You'll need to go through all the details again... I need to learn them, I think. I'll just pretend it's some weird school test."

He didn't seem to catch my attempt at lightening the atmosphere.

"Well," he opened his mouth to begin further, but the phone rang, making us both jump.

"Sorry, I'll just get that," I muttered, padding across the floor to answer it. "Hello?"

"Bella, I'm sorry."

It was Rose. I couldn't help sighing a little. "Hi."

Edward was watching with interest and I turned away so he wouldn't see my face. I'm sure he didn't really want to know about everything else happening; he certainly already had enough to worry about.

"I can't believe how I acted earlier, I was awful," she continued. "I really regret what I said. I'm so sorry, Bells."

"I know, it's okay. I forgive you. You're just moody sometimes," I teased.

She laughed, clearly full of relief. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, too.

"How are things between you and Emmett now? Has anything else happened?"

"No," she sighed. "I should phone him really."

"It sounds as though you have no intention of doing so," I observed.

"It is that obvious?"

"But I thought you two were great together," I moaned. "You were _the_ couple in school; everybody wanted to be like you."

"Things change," was her response. That was_ so_ true.

"Anyway, do you want to tell me who it was you kissed, now?" I asked.

She hesitated and finally sighed once more. "I guess I'll have to. I just... I don't think you'll be happy with me. I feel awful about it. I-"

"It'll be fine, Rose," I interrupted, a little impatiently. "Just tell me."

"Well, it... it was Jasper. Jasper Whitlock."


	8. When They Talked

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Eight – When They Talked_

I was too shocked to say anything for quite a few moments, but not shocked for the reasons I expected.

It was obvious that I _used_ to really like Jasper Whitlock, and Rose knew that. That explained a lot about why she was so reluctant to tell me before; she thought I'd be hurt, betrayed...

But I felt none of that.

I was surprised to discover that I didn't really mind... it wasn't much of a big deal to me at all. It felt as though she'd just told me something normal, something gossipy, and that it shouldn't have affected me.

My thoughts whirled around for reasons why.

"Bella? Are you there? I really am sorry, I didn't know... I didn't think!"

"Rose, it's alright," I replied calmly. "I really don't mind."

She paused. "But Bella-"

"I honestly don't mind. I'm quite surprised myself..."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," I lowered my voice. "I guess I'm not really that interested in Jasper anymore."

I could practically hear the cogs in her brain ticking away. "_So_... that must mean you're interested in somebody else..."

This took me by surprise and I frowned heavily. I'd regularly thought that Dr Cullen was quite attractive, but that meant nothing... that was just a harmless crush or whatever you wanted to call it. Besides, he was probably twice my age.

But Edward, on the other hand...

I nearly dropped the phone in surprise. "W-Well that's for me to know and for you to find out," I replied quickly to save myself. After clearing my throat, I added, "What's gonna happen with you and Emmett, though?"

She didn't buy my change of subject. "Bella, who is this person? Tell me!"

"There isn't anybody," I lied. "I'm just trying to annoy you."

"Well you've certainly done that," she grumbled. "I _will_ find out, even if it kills me."

I snorted. "Ever the dramatist."

"That's me in a nutshell. Anyway, Bells, I've rung around about your truck and I'll be able to pick it up from the police station and drop it off for you, if that's alright. I won't disturb you, I'll just leave it outside your house."

Those words reminded me of what I had to talk to Edward about, and a feeling of dread overcame me. "Thanks, Rose," I managed. "That's really kind of you."

"No problem. Are you coming in on Monday?"

School was the last thing on my mind, but I had no other choice. "I think so."

"Good. I'll see you in the parking lot, then."

"Will do. Bye, Rose."

She hung up and I slowly placed down the phone, wanting to prolong the inevitable.

Of course, that was impossible.

"Bella?"

Edward was by my side, looking down at me seriously. I wanted to scowl at him but knew that wasn't appropriate, so I smiled; something I do when feeling nervous.

"Edward," was my clever reply.

"I don't mean to pressure you, but-"

"Let's just talk about it," I interrupted. "Get it over with... it's just not... pleasant."

He frowned. "You must have had a pretty bad experience with the police before to make you so reluctant." I sat back down and felt his eyes on me the whole way. It wasn't a positive feeling this time; his gaze felt as though it was making my skin tingle.

"My Mom." I couldn't really manage saying much more, but tried, for Edward's sake. "She... s-she was arrested when I was five." I paused. "They took her away from me and s-she didn't tell the social workers about my father still being alive. She pretended he'd died and that I had nobody. She didn't want to give me up."

The silence around us caused my ears to start ringing and I tried to ignore the images that were starting to appear in my mind.

"The workers eventually found out and contacted my father. I had to move to Forks because... well, my Mom was going to be in prison for a long time. She's still in there."

_I walked into the horrible grey building that I'd gotten to know over the months and edged past the rows of people wearing strange orange clothing. A tall man was holding onto my hand a little too tightly, but I didn't say anything. I'd learnt not to complain._

_In the distance I could see somebody I barely recognised anymore. We visited her every week, the same time, but each visit I was forgetting more. Her eyes looked a lot like mine, so I assumed she was a relative of some sort._

_We reached the table and she immediately hugged me while I just stood there limply. After a few minutes, we all sat down, and the man who'd accompanied me immediately started talking._

_"Miss Swan, we've recently discovered that Isabella's father is in fact alive and living in the town of Forks, a few miles away from here," he said, sounding distant and professional. "We don't know exactly _why_ you lied to us, but we've contacted Mr Swan and Isabella will immediately be moved over there to live with her only available relative."_

_I remember clearly how this person's face crumpled, how she screamed and shouted as I was taken away. No matter how many times I waved or smiled, it didn't seem to make her feel better._

_"No, Bella!" she yelled, her voice echoing around and attracting sympathetic or curious stares. "Please don't go!"_

_As we walked outside, I remembered that she was my Mom, and cried unstoppably when we drove off. Me and the complete stranger._

"Bella?"

Edward's voice brought me back to the present and I ran my hands through my hair in surprise, then rubbed at my eyes. For some strange reason they were damp, and I only then realised that I'd been crying.

"Sorry," I whispered. "This is stupid of me."

He moved his hand towards mine, hesitated, then withdrew it back. "I keep forgetting that I can't touch anything," he murmured, clearly in frustration. "But I'm sorry this has brought you so much pain... I didn't mean to-"

"Edward, it's f-fine. We need to do this." Taking a deep breath, I managed to smile at him and he did too, but only slightly. "What's the plan? I need to know everything."

* * *

Sunday, the following day, was fairly uneventful; Edward and myself mostly talked to each other and I didn't really get out of bed until the afternoon. I was feeling_ incredibly_ lazy to say the least.

"Are you gonna make a move some time today?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips. I couldn't help grinning back.

"Well, I haven't really got anything planned today so," I shrugged, snuggling back into the covers. He smiled, moving closer. "Although... I may actually have some homework or something due for tomorrow."

He frowned. "You've got an excuse."

"Not really. A few tiny cuts won't affect my ability to write essays."

"Just say that you had a bad headache or something-or-another."

I raised my eyebrows together. "A secret rebel, eh?"

"This is nothing new, really," he laughed. "When I last went to school, I spent most of my time writing music at the back of the class. The teachers always thought I was busily making notes and usually let me leave early."

"Cunning."

He winked. "Yeah... I sort of gave up with gym as well. I doubt my teacher even knew what I looked like."

A shudder escaped me. "That word is forbidden in this household! Ugh, gym is just_ torture_."

"I totally agree with you there."

We were silent for a while, before Edward's eyes travelled to my bedside table. "What's that?" He was looking at my notebook.

"Oh... it's nothing really. Just some paper."

He raised an eyebrow this time. "Bella."

I sighed. "I just write things and draw... stuff. It's nothing really."

"Can I see one of your drawings?" he asked. "Please."

"Mmmph," I mumbled. Edward's reaction to my strange noise was quite comical but I managed to keep a straight face. "I'd really rather you didn't."

He pouted. "Please, Bella?"

All I could really focus onwas his bright green eyes staring into mine and I sighed, opening the book at the earliest drawing. "You shouldn't dazzle me like that, y'know. It's not fair, and I really hope you won't do it in the future." The picture I came to was of one I'd done ages ago, right after Charlie had gone to rehab. It showed one of the many forests here in Forks and Edward stared at it for a while, probably taking in the dark colours that I'd used.

"Were you quite upset when you drew this?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," I murmured. "Can you tell?"

He nodded. "Kind of. Can you show me another?"

I flicked towards a more colourful picture, this time of a beautiful meadow I'd found while out on a walk. A small smile crept onto Edward's face when he looked at it. "That's better. It's really beautiful. Like..." He trailed off, scrunching his eyebrows together. "One more?"

This time I showed him a picture I'd drawn of some fruit and he chuckled upon seeing it. "I was in a random mood that day," I explained. "And most artists seem to draw fruit all the time."

He smiled crookedly. "So what kind of things do you write?"

"Just poems and short stories."

He nodded thoughtfully. "So are Art and English your favourite subjects at school?"

"Yup," I smiled. "And I'm guessing yours was music. I mean, _is_ music. Still is."

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"I'd like to draw you sometime." The words escaped my mouth before I could think and I automatically cringed. "I mean... if that's alright with you."

He smiled slowly. "I'm not exactly the most interesting model."

I almost snorted.

"But I guess it _would_ be an experience... so I'll say yes," he finished. "But I can't guarantee that I'll be able to stay completely still. I'm naturally fidgety."

"You'd better. Right, I think I'm gonna get up now."

He pretended to clap and I poked my tongue out at him. "Now, please leave while I change. We wouldn't want you seeing any of that."

With a final laugh, he left the room.

* * *

We were sat together watching television later that day when I realised just how much I'd told Edward over our short time together. It sounded stupid, but I really felt as though I could confide in him already and that he was an old friend.

Then again, Rose had told me once before that it was one of my main problems; I trusted people too easily.

Thinking about it, I'd been incredibly worried when he'd left and now it felt almost normal having him around; the company was something that I was grateful for.

I had to keep reminding myself that it had been less than a week since he appeared...

Tomorrow was an important day, though, and I felt a little nervous about it all, but I didn't want to let Edward down; I'd just have to face my fear of police stations.

Another worry was getting through the school day - I just _prayed_ that people wouldn't be asking too many questions... I knew what it would be like; people I'd never even spoken to before asking me what had happened.

I'd probably end up replying with a rude hand gesture and a few expletives.

Edward had offered to go to school with me, even though he hated places like that. He said he'd keep me company and help me through, and this small gesture touched my heart. Of course I accepted, a little too enthusiastically...

We met each other's eyes and exchanged a small smile. I knew then that we were probably thinking about the same thing.

"Everything will be fine, y'know," he murmured. "I'll be there."

I wanted to believe him. I really, really did.

"Yeah," I muttered. "It will be."

We'd just have to wait and see about that.


	9. When There Was A Fight

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Nine - When There Was A Fight_

I woke up quite early the next morning and the first thing I saw was Edward sitting cross legged on the floor by my side. Leaning against the pillow, I glanced down at him and smiled a little, genuinely happy to see him. The day ahead was going to be a long one and the comfort of him just being with me was wonderful.

"Morning," he said, sounding a little hoarse. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," I lied, stretching my arms and cracking a few joints. He winced while I did this.

"Bella, please don't do that... the sound _really_ goes through me!"

I wasn't sure whether he meant that literally, but just chuckled anyway. "Sorry, it's a really bad habit of mine." Sitting upright, I peeked at the clock. "Crumbs, I'd better get ready for school..."

He nodded and I quickly reached for my nightgown. "I just need a shower so..." I hesitated. "I dunno. Do whatever you like. Do you want me to put the TV on again?"

"I'll be alright, thanks. I'll just... stare at a wall."

"Are you being sarcastic?" I teased. "Seriously, what do you want me to do?"

"Don't worry. I'll... sit in the kitchen. You won't be long anyway, will you?"

I shook my head. "See you in a bit."

The shower gave me some time to think and, as the droplets of warm water hit my back, my muscles untensed and I sighed, feeling a bit more relaxed. After washing my hair and scrubbing over my body, I stepped out and dried myself, changing into my school clothes.

Stepping back into my room, I gathered the things I needed for my classes, then hurried downstairs to see Edward and get some breakfast. He looked up when I walked through the door and smiled crookedly, making my heart rate accelerate.

He tended to make that happen a lot.

"Nice shower?"

I frowned at his strange question but nodded, reaching for some cereal. "Yeah."

"How was it?"

His interest was strange. "It was... wet."

He snorted. "Clever, Bella."

"Why do you ask, anyway?" I asked, crunching on some cereal.

"Just curious," he replied, a little cagily.

"Alrighty then," I murmured slowly. "Are you still coming into school with me?"

He seemed to shudder and the way his eyes screwed up was strangely beautiful.

"That's a yes, then," I laughed. "But seriously, you don't have to if you don't like those kinds of places. I've been able to cope on my own for plenty of years now, so one more day won't make much of a difference."

His eyes seemed to soften. "I want to come."

There was a brief silence between us, before I murmured, "Thank you."

Before I could really realise, the time edged towards eight and we headed outside and into my truck. Surprisingly, there wasn't too much damage, and I guessed either the police or Rose had arranged to have it fixed. I smiled briefly to myself, but found that I felt a little anxious stepping back inside. The flashbacks were still very clear in my mind.

The situation was a lot different this time, though. On the previous occasion, I'd hardly known Edward and he had _completely_ startled me. This time, we were closer and I... well, I kind of _trusted_ him.

"Okay?" he asked while I put on my seatbelt. I nodded with a smile.

"Just don't scare me this time."

I started the engine and carefully drove down the road, being extra slow and precautious. I was probably irritating plenty of people behind us with my speed but I honestly couldn't really care.

* * *

The radio played some quiet music in the background and we soon found ourselves heading through the school entrance.

To my dismay, it was just as I expected.

"Oh_ great_," I groaned.

Practically everyone who was in the parking lot was now staring in our direction. I could see huddles of people talking and pointing, and I nearly missed my space when I tried to park the truck.

"I knew it would be like this," I sighed.

The engine cut off and we sat in silence. Taking a deep breath, I reached for my bag and subtly looked at Edward. "Here goes nothing," I mouthed. He gave me an encouraging smile and we both stepped outside.

"Bella! _Bella_!"

I tried not to roll my eyes when some purple-haired girl that I didn't even know started taking up my personal space. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Do you actually go to this school?" I asked, admittedly a little moodily.

She frowned. "Yeah..."

"Strange, I don't even recognise you."

I walked off then, and headed through the doors, trying my hardest to ignore the comments coming from behind me. I did feel a little smug, though; the look on that girl's face was enough to make me snicker.

As soon as we were both inside, I saw a familiar head of blonde hair and rushed over towards Rose,_ really_ happy to see her.

"Bella!" she smiled, hugging me tightly. When we pulled away, she frowned at me. "Hey, what happened to your nose?"

I heard Edward snort but Rose obviously heard nothing and her expression remained the same. "I basically walked into a door. A door that was _supposed_ to open."

She snorted, too, clearly full of sympathy. "Oh dear, Bells. You've been having a bit of a rough time lately."

Her focus moved just over my shoulder and I noticed her face fall dramatically. I wondered for a moment if she'd seen Edward but, turning around, I realised that Jasper Whitlock was standing awkwardly in the doorway, seeming to deliberately avoid Rose's eyes.

"Hey, Bella," he smiled after an agonising few seconds. "How are you feeling?"

The air around us all was thick with tension and I could see Edward glancing at me in confusion from the corner of my eye. He clearly didn't know what had happened... maybe it was best that way. It wasn't like he'd _want_ to get any more involved with my life.

"I'm good thanks, Jasper," I replied. "How was your weekend?"

He looked a little surprised but eventually cleared his throat and answered. "Yeah, it was... interesting." He looked up to meet Rose's eyes at that point and I could just imagine the horrified look on her face.

"Anyway, I'll see you later," he muttered suddenly, heading off down the corridor without another murmur. We waited until he was out of hearing distance before Rose and I started talking.

"That was... awkward," I mumbled, turning back to her.

"Yeah, just slightly," she sighed. "I just hope that Emmett never finds out about it all or Jasper will be in serious sh-"

"Emmett never finds out about all _what_?"

We both whipped around and there, standing in the doorway, was Emmett himself.

"Crumbs," I muttered. "Um... should we leave you two alone? I mean should_ I _leave you alone?" I winced at my mistake and shared a small look with Edward. He rolled his eyes teasingly.

"Yes please," Rose whispered quietly, thankfully not noticing.

"Okay, see you later. Good luck," I added as an afterthought.

I headed slowly down the corridor to my first class and cringed at the loud voices coming from behind us.

"That doesn't sound too good," Edward commented.

"No."

It was going to be a _long_ morning...

* * *

When lunch eventually came around, I ended up sitting on my own, mainly because Rose was nowhere to be seen. Technically speaking I wasn't really on my_ own_, because Edward was by my side, but to everyone else in the canteen, it seemed like I was alone.

Using a technique I'd learnt before, I reached for my phone and dialled a random number. After a few moments, I spoke and Edward turned to face me.

"I wonder where Rose is..."

"She's probably with Emmett," he replied. "Why, I'm not boring you, am I?"

"Pfft, of course not."

"That's become a habit of yours, lately," he said thoughtfully.

I frowned. "What has?"

"Making strange noises. Yesterday you made that mmmph noise and now it's pfft." I laughed aloud at the sounds he made and the way his face contorted, and could instantly feel several pairs of eyes on me. "Is it some kind of secret language of yours?"

"No. I just... enjoy making meaningless noises."

He laughed this time; his whole face softening from the action. Again, it was kind of beautiful.

There was suddenly a loud noise from behind me and a rush of students filled into the room. "Hurry!" somebody shouted. "There's a fight outside! It's Emmett McCarty and Jasper Whitlock!"

My eyes bulged and I met Edward's gaze in horror. Snapping the phone shut, we both rushed out the doors, along with a large group of other people. This certainly wasn't good...

* * *

I was shocked to find out that Rose had actually admitted to Emmett about kissing Jasper during the lesson just before lunch, and that he had, naturally, exploded with anger. She kept telling him that it was a mistake but he took no notice.

The fight was pretty bad; Jasper ended up with a broken nose and countless bruises and cuts. Rose came to see me afterwards, hysterically crying, and I tried my best to comfort her, but there wasn't that much I could do. Emmett was sent to the hospital too because he had damaged his hands so much from the force, but we all knew deep down that he'd end up in the principal's office sometime this week.

"It's not your fault, Rose," I soothed, towards the end of the lunch hour. "Emmett's the one with the violent side."

"But I'm the one who kissed another guy!" she sobbed, losing her face in a tissue. I sighed, looking to Edward for help. He shrugged and I rolled my eyes at him. "Helpful," I mouthed.

Turning to Rose, I smiled a little. "At least you were being honest. Really, Rose, I'm sure it'll be alright in the end."

"That's not helping," she mumbled.

The bell rang then, and she groaned, wiping at her eyes.

"I think you should speak to Emmett and Jasper again at some point," I told her. "Get Emmett to apologise-" She opened her mouth to protest but I stopped her by holding up my hand. "I know it'll be hard, but he needs to. Show him that you're sorry and... things should be okay."

She smiled a little and sighed afterwards. "Thanks, Bella. Sorry to burden all this on you."

"It's alright. Just try to have a fairly uneventful afternoon, yeah?"

She nodded. It was a shame I couldn't do the same.

* * *

Walking into Biology later, I could feel myself beginning to become nervous. Not only did I detest this particular lesson, but it was the last class of the day, and that meant my police interview was fastly approaching.

I think Edward sensed my mood because he smiled a lot more often and constantly tried to change the subject to something light.

While Mr Banner was giving us a particularly long lecture and writing on the board, I heard Edward start talking to me, clearly with nobody else capable of hearing.

"This class seems pretty boring."

I glanced at him, grateful for being at the back of the room. Reaching for some paper, I wrote my reply.

_Yeah - you should see what it's like on a bad day._

Edward scanned my reply and laughed. "You mean this_ isn't_ a bad day?" I smiled at him. "Don't you know anybody in the class?"

I was sat on my own and nodded carefully. _Rose isn't in this class_, I wrote. I vaguely wondered how she was feeling and how Jasper was...

"I'm sure she'll be alright," he said, scarily seeming as though he could read my thoughts. I just sighed in response.

We were silent for a little while and I started to listen to the teacher, but it wasn't long before Edward started talking again. My brain actually felt numb so I was glad for the distraction; I couldn't cope with anything more about photosynthesis today.

"Y'know, your teacher reminds me of Albert Einstein."

I spluttered a little loudly at his random comment, gaining some unwanted attention. Mr Banner actually eyed me carefully, before muttering something and turning back to the board. All the time, he shook his head in exasperation.

_Albert Einstein? _I wrote, smothering my laugh. _Are you seeing the same person as me? In case you hadn't noticed, Mr Barner is bald! _

I crazily underlined that last word for some emphasis and he smirked while reading my note. "Well, apart from that... he's just got that weird look about him. A hint of insanity."

_Many people look weird but they don't all resemble old, crazy scientists!_

He stared at me for a moment. "That's better. I've been waiting all day to see you smile properly, Bella."

I looked down at the table a little self consciously.

He didn't say much more for the rest of the lesson and I was completely surprised when the bell rang. My stomach felt light and I was full of nerves, but I shared a significant look with Edward and smiled weakly. I was determined to do this, even if it meant going back to the place that had haunted me for years.

Besides, I had my ghost with me and that was enough to get me through.


	10. When Secrets Were Revealed

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Ten - When Secrets Were Revealed_

"So," I said slowly, pulling up outside the horribly familiar grey building, "here we are."

Edward nodded and I could feel him looking at me; his gaze made the side of my face prickle. It always did. I tried not to, but I eventually glanced over at him and managed a small smile.

"Nervous?" he asked gently, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Slightly."

That was a lie; my stomach felt sickeningly light and my skin was breaking out in goosebumps, even though the temperature was quite comfortable. This was actually a bit like how I reacted before my driving test, except_ that_ was followed by excitement at finally being independent. And Charlie was waiting at home for me, unlike now.

"Like I said before," he continued, "I'm here for you."

"Yeah."

There was a brief pause. "So, are you sure you remember everything? I don't mean to pressure you, I just want to be sure. It's-"

"I think so," I murmured, suddenly not in the mood to talk. Edward probably sensed this because he quietened down when we stepped out of my truck. We headed slowly forwards, each step taking an unbelievable amount of effort.

"Bell-" he began.

"Edward, I really am sure, you don't need to ask me again. What I _do _need is to do this for you."

He smiled a little. "Thank you."

I opened the doors and stepped inside, feeling an immediate change in atmosphere. Outside, the air was fresh and clear, but inside it was stuffy and claustrophobic.

I began to feel a tiny bit sick.

We carried on towards the front of the room and a middle-aged man behind the tall counter glanced down at me, his blue eyes scrutinising my face almost immediately. He had a pile of paperwork stacked in front of him and I felt instantly intimidated, as though everyone in the room should be looking at me. The way his forehead furrowed and the way his mouth was constantly dropped downwards made me feel even worse. It felt like I was wasting his time, judging from his facial expression.

"How can I help you?" he suddenly asked, in a deep, hoarse voice.

I stammered almost straight away. "Um... I... I have some information about an accident that r-recently happened."

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Right. I'll just take your name and details..." I told him everything shakily and he nodded passively. "And you'd better wait over there until an officer is ready to see you." My eyes followed his hand and I saw a few blue plastic chairs waiting for me.

"Thank you," I murmured, nervously hurrying towards the seat. The room was covered in crime posters and painted in a dull white colour, with stains covering some of the surfaces. Other people who were waiting in there with us coughed and fidgeted around, unable to keep still.

I hated this place.

Glancing at Edward in desperation, I tried to show how I was feeling through my eyes. He seemed to understand and gave me a small smile. "You've got this far now, Bella, you can't turn back. You've been so brave."

He was acting like a father figure, comforting a child who was about to visit the dentist.

For a few moments, I thought of Charlie, and sighed in longing. It felt like at least a month since I'd last visited him and I just needed to see his crinkle-eyed smile once more. I wondered how he was doing; I knew he was strong and hoped he'd kept sober for another week.

"Miss Swan?"

A young woman with caramel waves and a warm, welcoming face approached me suddenly with her hand outraised. I shook it automatically and stood up, assuming that this was the detective. I was a little alarmed at the short wait but was grateful all the same; the waiting was intense and maybe it showed that they were taking me seriously.

"Hello, I'm detective inspector Esme Adams. I'm here today to conduct the interview. I've heard that you have some information about a recent accident?"

I nodded nervously. "Y-Yes. It involved somebody c-called Edward C-Cullen." I swallowed, trying to make my voice sound stronger. "He was hit over by a car and had some belongings stolen."

"Ah, yes, I remember hearing about this. You'd better follow me."

I shared a brief look with Edward and walked down the corridor, suddenly feeling a little bit more confident. DI Adams didn't seem _too_ intimidating and I was determined to fulfil Edward's wishes.

She led me into a dark room with a small table in the middle, along with a tape recorder. Another woman followed in after her.

"This is my colleague," she told me. "She needs to be here for the interview as a witness." I nodded again, feeling like a bobblehead. "Please, take a seat." I did so, and she soon asked, "Do you need anybody else here with you?"

I sneakily glanced at Edward who was sitting beside me. "No, I'm fine, thank you. Please, let's just get this over with." I wrung my hands under the table in anticipation.

They both nodded and pressed the record button, the sound echoing around the room. After a few boring details were given to the tape, DI Adams turned to look me straight in the eye. "Miss Swan, were you present at Mr Cullen's accident?"

"N-no," I stammered, feeling a little shaky. "But I arrived a few minutes later, I think, and saw Edward there on his own in the middle of the road."

"You're speaking about Mr Cullen as though you're close," she observed.

"Um... well, I've visited him a few times in hospital," I hesitated.

"And what happened when you found him?"

Fidgeting around in my seat and hearing some reassuring words from Edward, I answered. "I sat with him and phoned an ambulance. He was barely conscious, but managed to tell me some details about what had happened."

She raised her eyebrows. "What did he tell you?"

"He told me that he'd been hit over and that... that two men stole some of his belongings. They took two gold necklaces and his wallet." I paused, looking at Edward for comfort. "He... he also told me about how one of the men looked. He was tanned with long hair, and had a scar on one of his cheeks." I thought for a moment, trying to recollect what I'd memorised. "They were both wearing hoodies and... and that's all I r-remember, sorry."

"Those are quite a lot of details," she murmured, looking at some files. "But the accident happened nearly a week ago. Why have you taken so long to tell us this information?"

My mind froze. "I... I was scared." That was true. "I was still in s-shock. I'm s-sorry."

"It's strange. The doctors don't recall anybody riding in the ambulance with Mr Cullen..."

"I h-had to be somewhere," I lied. "I regretted it, but I did go to visit him later on."

"And how is he?" she asked.

"Not so good, r-really," I answered. "I just really hope he pulls through."

Edward's eyes met mine at this point and we shared a smile. Subtly, of course; I always had to pretend that I was looking around the room.

"Do you have any further details about the necklaces?"

"It was a sort-of pendant," Edward murmured to me and I repeated this quickly. "And my wallet had my ID in there, too," he added, which I, again, passed on. They nodded, taking some notes.

"Well, thank you for all this information, Miss Swan," DI Adams concluded after a moment. "You've been very helpful. If we gain anymore information we'll be sure to contact you with the details you provided."

I nodded, a weight suddenly lifting off my shoulders. "Is that it?"

She smiled. "Yes. We'll try our hardest to find these criminals and hopefully retrieve Mr Cullen's belongings."

"Thank you." I hesitated, hovering upwards. "Uh... bye, then."

The speed that I walked out of the station was almost inhuman, but when I stepped outside and inhaled some fresh air, I immediately felt better. Edward joined my side and was smiling widely.

"Bella, you were fantastic!"

I blushed while we headed towards my truck.

"Thank you so much," he said softly. "I know that must have been difficult for you."

Turning to face him, I waved my hand dismissively, careful that nobody was around. "It wasn't so bad, after all. Let's just hope they find those... those... well, maybe it's best if I keep the word in mind to myself."

He nodded eagerly and chuckled at the same time. "Thank you."

* * *

We arrived home a little while later and I was surprised to see a blond man waiting by my door, along with a black Mercedes parked outside. As we approached, I realised that it was Dr Cullen and suddenly felt my heart beating a little faster.

Climbing out and heading towards him, I took a deep breath. "Dr Cullen?" I called.

He whipped around suddenly, his face breaking out into a smile. "Miss Swan," he said, sounding a little relieved.

"Bella," I corrected, and he chuckled.

"And I'm Carlisle. No more formalities, please."

"Okay," I blushed.

"Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you. I called about ten minutes ago and you weren't here, so I figured I'd just wait." He paused. "That probably sounds quite desperate, but I'm here for a reason, I promise."

I couldn't help grinning at what he'd said, despite the mystery as well; he sounded a little flustered for a brief moment there. "Oh? You'd better come in, then."

Quickly unlocking the door, we all stepped inside and I shared a glance with Edward. He gestured towards the kitchen, murmuring, "Can I please have a quick word?"

I nodded, turning to Dr Cull-, no, _Carlisle_. "Um... can I get you some coffee?"

"Oh," he smiled. "That sounds brilliant, if it's not too much trouble..."

"No, it's fine," I smiled back. "Take a seat in the lounge, I won't be a minute."

After filling the kettle and gathering some cups, I turned to Edward. The sound of the kettle boiling hopefully blocked out my whispers. "What's wrong?"

He frowned, as though he was thinking deeply. "I know this sounds strange, but that man looks a lot like my father."

That was the last thing I expected him to say. "Really?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's quite scary... but I'm absolutely sure that my father died a few years ago."

I shrugged as the steam flooded the room. "Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"But, Bella, he has my surname."

Chewing on my lip, I poured the water into the cups. "I'll ask him if you like. Although I did ask him before, and he didn't know."

"Thanks, Bella," he said, smiling at me crookedly once more. I was increasingly loving the way he said my name; it just seemed to roll effortlessly off his tongue.

I set the cups on a tray and threw together a couple of biscuits, then joined Dr Cullen - _Carlisle_ - in the lounge, smiling at him warmly; it was a really natural thing to do around him and I couldn't stop myself.

"Thank you, Bella," he said politely, cradling the cup in his hands. "How have you been feeling lately?"

"I've been great," I lied. "The injuries barely bother me anymore, actually. Thanks for asking."

"That's good." He frowned, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. "Sadly, that's not the reason why I'm visiting you. I really don't mean to burden this on you, but I've noticed that you've been taking an interest in a patient named Edward Cullen." I froze involuntarily and saw Edward stiffen too.

"Is he a friend of yours?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes."

He seemed anxious. "Well... I couldn't help thinking about what you said before... about the two of us being related. It seemed too much of a coincidence for us to both have the same surname so... I did some research. I looked at some family history websites on the internet."

"Right. And?" I prompted, feeling nervous for Edward.

"Well," he said slowly, "I've found out that I am, in fact, Edward's uncle."

My eyes bulged in surprise. "I... I'm sorry, w-what?"

"It turns out that my parents had me around ten years after Edward's father," he explained, "and that I was never told I had a brother."

"What?" I frowned. "Why not?"

"My father never told me I had an uncle," Edward intervened. "What the hell were they playing at?"

His voice was full of anger that I'd never heard before and it made me shiver.

"But... why were you kept away?" I asked.

"I have no idea," he sighed. "Maybe out of shame or something. But I never knew I had a brother, and, as a consequence, I never knew I had a nephew, Edward. I'm not sure if he knows about me or not."

This was all mind boggling. Edward had an uncle that he never knew about and, for some reason, there were secrets in that family that we'd maybe never understand.

Carlisle was leaning forwards, running his hands through his hair. "It's all very confusing. But I'm going to find out a bit more and... well, I was wondering if, when you visit Edward from now on, that I could come in and see him too?"

I swallowed, freezing once more; I'd never be able to visit him. "Sure," I managed. "But, I have to warn you, it's not looking good. Edward has some very bad injuries."

I glanced over at the subject of my sentence and saw him in the corner of the room, staring at the wall in what looked like rage. I'd never seen him like this before and didn't know what to do.

Things were never simple anymore.


	11. When A Problem Was Shared

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Eleven - When A Problem Was Shared_

It was clear to see that Edward was bitter for a few days after Dr Cullen's visit. His jaw seemed to be tight a lot of the time, almost as though his anger seemed to collect there. He was also silent a lot, seeming to be completely immersed in his thoughts; I wanted to talk to him about what had happened, to try and make it better, but I just didn't know what to say.

So, I left him alone, gave him some space, and carried on with my own business.

In school, I found out from Rose that Emmett was going to be excluded for a total of a month and that Jasper Whitlock was now home with a few injuries and wouldn't be returning to school for a long time.

Also, the visit to see Charlie went surprisingly well; he no longer looked pale and pasty, but fresh and strangely optimistic, as though he had really turned a corner. He beamed while telling me about what he'd achieved over the past week and went on to tell me that he'd probably be out of rehab soon. I smiled along enthusiastically with him, but couldn't get Edward out of my mind. The thought of him kept niggling away constantly, and I found it hard to truly be happy for Charlie.

Of course, when he asked me about my week, I just shrugged it off, saying that nothing much had happened.

When I got back home, Edward politely inquired about the visit and I replayed everything back to him, but after that he stayed quiet again, and I didn't protest. He had issues to sort out and I couldn't stop him.

Two days later on Sunday morning, I was a little frustrated at the atmosphere, so I suggested that we did something fun together out of pure desperation. In response, he just looked at me as though I'd grown another head.

"Edward," I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't really know what to do or say... I-"

"It's alright, Bella, really," he interrupted, edging slowly closer towards me. His tone was a little resigned. "I've just accepted it now. I've thought it through and... it's okay. They probably had their reasons for everything."

"Are you sure?" I asked carefully, trying to work out if his nonchalant attitude was real or not.

He nodded once, staring at my feet. I followed his gaze and wondered just what was so interesting about my slippers; they were tattered and slightly dirty, and I immediately felt paranoid about wearing them.

"You remind me a little of my mother."

My eyes widened at his sudden statement and I nearly sprayed my orange juice onto his face. Well, _through_ his face... I cringed while thinking of that.

Despite this, I didn't really know what to think of what he'd said. "I thought you didn't really get along with your mother," I replied slowly.

"No, no, it's not that. It's the little things," he explained, staring ahead at the wall, probably deep in thought. "She'd always wear slippers like yours, even during the summer."

"But it is quite cold here in Forks," I pointed out, and he chuckled.

"She used to love the chilly weather too, for some reason," he pondered. "She hated it when it was sunny... mainly because she enjoyed being all cosy inside, drinking tea and watching TV." He smiled, a beautiful look spreading across his face.

"You seem quite fond of her," I observed, meeting his eyes.

"I am... still." He paused. "I miss her. We just... argued a lot over stupid things and Dad, well, before he died, he seemed to make everything worse. It was like he _wanted_ to make her angry."

This was deeply personal stuff and I realised just how drastic a turn our conversation had taken. It made me anxious, but I also wanted to hear more; all I ever wanted to do was help Edward.

I didn't know what this meant; I was a little scared to think about it too deeply.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I murmured eventually.

Was he expecting me to share something about myself in return? There was an urge deep down in my stomach to tell him more about me; I _wanted_ him to know me better.

Before I could think any further, I was speaking and words flowed freely out of my mouth.

"I suppose I can kind of understand what you went through," I began. "Charlie and I argued a lot when he used to come home drunk. I always came back from school and was greeted by a lonely house, and... and he always stumbled in late in the evening, stinking of alcohol." I paused to shudder.

"Do you know why he started drinking?" Edward asked, genuine concern apparent on his face. His eyes locked with mine and I couldn't look away.

"I think... it was probably because of my... my Mom."

His face softened even further and I noticed his hand jerk towards mine. Once again, realisation suddenly flooded through him and my heart ached. That moment of _thinking_ we could touch must have been wonderful, but then remembering that he couldn't... well, that must be both heartbreaking and frustrating.

I vaguely wondered if we'd ever be able to do something as simple as holding hands. So many people took that for granted.

We remained quiet for a few moments and I once again found myself thinking about Edward and our relationship. It had been on my mind a lot recently and I'd tried to not confront the issue, but he'd even been haunting my dreams over the past few days.

I was just confused a_ lot_ of the time.

"Bella?"

Blinking wildly, I looked up to see Edward staring at me expectantly. Oops, he'd probably asked me something... "Sorry, sorry, what did you say?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to talk about something a bit more cheerful?" he repeated with a small smile. I loved the way his lips turned crooked.

"Yeah," I laughed. "That'd be good. This has been quite dreary!"

"Dreary like Sunday morning," he sang suddenly, catching me by surprise.

"Wow, Edward," I breathed. "That was unexpected! Your voice is great!"

He looked embarrassed. "I was just joking around..."

"Well, I was impressed."

"You were impressed by a rainbow the other day," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well," I shrugged, feeling my face turn hot. "It was pretty."

He snickered.

"But seriously," I persisted. "Edward, that voice was great. Did you ever have singing lessons?"

He snorted this time. "No, just the piano lessons."

I pondered this. "Hmm. I really wish I was more... musically talented. The only thing I can do is listen to my iPod and hum along badly. It used to annoy Charlie."

He seemed to think about this for a moment. "Why don't you have lessons or something?"

"I... um... well, I don't have that much money to spare at the moment," I admitted.

He paused. "How about you try the piano in your school?"

"I don't really want to voluntarily spend more time in school, to be honest."

"That's understandable," he said, smiling wryly. "But surely you must be able to access a piano _somewhere_."

"You seem really determined about this."

"It's just so wonderful playing the piano, Bella," he smiled, his eyes glazing over again. "I want you to experience how it feels when you can play something, even if it's a nursery rhyme or something simple like that. _And_ you said yourself that you wanted to be more musical."

"I guess," was my reply.

"Besides, I miss the sound as well."

I looked at him sadly. "Maybe I could look into practising at school..."

His face lit up. "Really, Bella? That would be great!"

"And..." I continued, suddenly thinking of something. "Perhaps you could teach me?"

He frowned. "How is that even possible?"

"You could just... I dunno, tell me which notes to play. Explain all the stuff."

"_The stuff_," he laughed. "Very technical."

"Well, you know what I mean."

"It would be a good idea though... we'll definitely have to follow this through."

I smiled at him, glad that he actually looked happy for the first time in a while; it made him seem even more youthful. "I'll look forward to it. But, in the mean time, what can we do today? I haven't really got anything planned..."

"You were moaning about schoolwork the other day... don't you have any to do?"

I ignored his first comment, muttering, "I hope not. I want a day off anyway."

"You didn't do much yesterday."

"Are you just_ trying_ to be annoying?" I teased, earning another crooked smile. "But seriously, Edward, what can we do?"

He shrugged, being a terrific bundle of help. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes lit up. "This may sound stupid, but... well, it's an idea..."

I swallowed. "Go on."

"Well... my mother used to bake this wonderful cake that was from an old family recipe," he paused, looking a little hesitant. I nodded, encouraging him to go on and showing that I was still interested. "And maybe I could help you bake it?" he shrugged again. "Gee, that sounds quite lame."

"No, really, I love baking," I smiled. "I'll get my coat and we'll buy some of the ingredients now."

He looked genuinely pleased once again and we headed outside happily.

* * *

"Edward, seriously, if we carry on any longer there's going to be a flour storm of some kind," I moaned.

Sure, I loved baking, but that didn't necessarily mean that I was good at it. In fact, I was shockingly awful.

The kitchen was a complete mess after a few hours of hard labour; it was enough to give a cleanaholic a heart attack.

Random bits and pieces of cake mixture were all over the counter and butter was somehow smeared on the floor. My hair was covered in a light mist of flour and I'd dropped a few eggs over my slippers. As if this wasn't bad enough, the oven was currently making a strange noise and I couldn't seem to stop the contents from looking lumpy.

While all this was happening, Edward just looked on, smiling devilishly.

"I wish I could help you..." he sighed, clearly being sarcastic. I glared at him, blowing my hair out of my eyes.

"Edward, this is a disaster! I thought you said this recipe was easy to follow."

"It is," he laughed. "But you're just..."

"Useless?" I offered, stirring the mixture roughly in a last attempt. "Completely incompetent?" I slammed the bowl down. "Well, I don't care anymore. I'm pouring this stuff in here and just hoping for the best."

He looked on warily but nodded, clearly amused by everything.

"Oh, and you've been a great help," I added.

"I gave you advice here and there."

I just grunted in response.

"Glad to be of service, anyway," he smirked.

* * *

A few hours later and the smoke alarm was beeping frantically. Stupid thing. In my hands I held a completely charcoaled 'cake' and Edward couldn't seem to stop laughing in the corner of the room.

"Yes, _thank you_," I mumbled bitterly. "This has been a complete waste of my time."

"No, it wasn't," he smiled, only just managing to speak, "it was fun."

"Pfft, fun for _you_."

"There you go again," he chuckled. "The strange noises have made another return."

I couldn't help laughing at that and, after thinking about how much I'd actually enjoyed this afternoon, despite the cooking mistakes, I chucked the rest of the cake into the bin and followed Edward in the lounge to watch some television together, grabbing a muffin from the fridge along the way.

It was becoming a very domesticated lifestyle and I was loving it already.


	12. When They Visited Dr Cullen

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Twelve - When They Visited Dr Cullen_

A few more days passed by, during which Edward and I grew increasingly closer.

It was lovely; we talked a lot more and did more-or-less everything together, and it didn't grow tiresome, as I'd initially expected. He came along with me to the supermarket every time when I had to stock up on the usual essentials and he always kept me company in school. Even though I was getting distracted a lot more often because of this, I didn't really mind.

We laughed a lot more while watching television and everything seemed a lot more relaxed. I wondered if it was because of our chat a few days ago; we'd learned a lot about each other, and maybe that had resulted in some kind of bond? I wasn't really sure but I _definitely_ wasn't going to complain.

I loved having him around. It was simple. There really wasn't any other word for it.

My mind slowed for a moment on the word _love_. It was certainly a strong way to describe it...

"Bella?" Edward suddenly said, breaking me away from my thoughts. I was really grateful for the distraction.

"Yup?"

He leaned closer towards me on the sofa. "A while has passed and you haven't done anything about those piano lessons."

I groaned. "I had genuinely forgotten all about it, Edward."

He raised an eyebrow momentarily, clearly skeptical. "The piano in your school doesn't look too bad. A bit dusty, but that can be sorted."

"Not with my asthma, it can't."

"Oh. Well, what have you got planned to do today?" he asked, clearly being very persistent.

"Um..." I thought for a moment. I considered telling him a lie, but eventually settled on the truth. "Well... Nothing, actually."

He grinned. "Good. How about you search for a piano?"

"Edward, I-"

We were suddenly interrupted by the sound of my doorbell ringing. I frowned; nobody usually visited here during the weekend apart from Rose, and she was busy with Emmett.

"Have you invited any visitors?" Edward asked.

"No," I replied, heading towards the door. I gripped the handle and opened it and standing there, once again, was Dr Cullen. My thoughts immediately turned to Edward and I didn't really want Carlisle to come inside.

But I couldn't exactly say that. And it wasn't really his fault anyway...

"Dr- sorry, Carlisle," I smiled automatically. "This is a surprise."

He used that charming smile once more, flashing me practically all of his teeth. I wasn't too sure why I was being so observant about this fact, but admired them anyway. In fact, I vaguely wondered about asking for the number of his dentist.

"I'm really sorry to bother you, Bella," he said, pulling his eyebrows together. "Are you busy today?"

"Um... no, no, not really," I stammered lamely. "Why do you ask?"

"Well... um, this is going to sound pretty strange, but please bear with me." He paused and I coudn't help smiling again when he became all flustered; it seemed pretty uncharacteristic og him. "I've done some more research about Edward and myself, and contacted some old family members." I nodded along, completely engrossed, but suddenly noticed Edward appear from the corner of my eye. I met his gaze and saw that he was clearly interested in what Carlisle had to say, too.

"And I've got all the information back at my house and... um, I was wondering if you'd like to come over for the afternoon and see what I've found out? I really apologise if that sounds weird and you can refuse if you like, but I figured it would be nice for you to visit my house instead of me being here all the time. I-"

He was speaking at about a hundred miles an hour and I had to hold up my hand to slow him down. I think he was afraid of me thinking that he was strange man, but he couldn't really be more wrong.

"Woah, lots of information," I laughed.

"Sorry," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I just had to get that off my chest without sounding too strange."

Glancing at Edward, I tried to let him see that I needed his opinion.

"It'd be good to go, Bella," he said and I nodded fractionally, aware that we had company.

"That sounds great, actually," I told Carlisle. "If you're sure that is..."

"Of course, of course." He paused. "You could ride in my car if you like, or you could follow me in your truck..."

"I think I'll go for the first option," I said, reaching for my coat. "We've got to save the planet after all."

After a brief chuckle, I followed him to his car with Edward following me warily.

* * *

"Well, here we are."

Carlisle cut off the engine and I stared in awe at his house. It was just _beautiful_...

The place was in the middle of a vast forest and was completely secluded, and this idea appealed to me greatly; having such privacy from the harsh outside world must be wonderful. The house itself was incredibly open, with big, clear windows on most sides, letting natural light flood through. The driveway led to the front of the house and we parked outside a large garage.

There were flowers around the house of all colours and I smiled, imagining Carlisle gardening.

Suddenly, a thought sprung into my mind.

"Oh... does your family mind us, no, I mean _me_ coming here?"

He looked directly at me. "No... it's not a problem. I live alone."

My eyes bulged. Dr Cullen was_ single_? That was just _insane_.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I stammered. "I just, y'know... I assumed you were married."

"Why's that?" he asked, smirking a little.

I just raised an eyebrow, aware of Edward's presence. This wasn't really the time to be joking about things like this; it was a serious part of his life and I had to respect that. What we were about to find out could really affect him.

We stepped out of the car and Carlisle led me towards the front door. My mouth was more or less dropped open unattractively all the time; I was even amazed at the stairs leading up to the living room.

Edward was right; I was easily amused.

Along the wall were beautiful paintings and the furnishing was incredible. It was my ideal home.

I was so absorbed in it all that I stupidly tripped up the final step, lurching forwards uncontrollably. Luckily, Carlisle caught me in his arms and we both laughed shakily, me thanking him and him looking around awkwardly.

"Only_ I_ could trip up stairs," I laughed.

I caught Edward's eyes at this point and nearly shivered at the strange look on his face.

"So, this is the lounge," Carlisle said, opening the door with a breeze of his arm. My breath caught in my throat.

The lounge was even more beautiful, practically three times the size of mine. It was mostly of a cream palette, with more flowers and paintings and general _amazingness_. There was a bookshelf completely filled with all kinds of literature and a large television, and _so _much more. On a table there was a chessboard ready to be played, and I wondered exactly _who_ would be Carlisle's opponent.

I didn't think it was possible to fall in love with a house, but I'd fallen hard.

"This is just... wow," I spluttered. Carlisle chuckled in response.

"Being a doctor does have some benefits," he replied modestly.

After a moment's silence, he asked, "So, shall I show you what I found?"

I nodded. "Please."

"Oh, I'll just get you something to drink first. Would you like a coffee?"

"I wouldn't say no! Thank you!"

He smiled. "I'll be a few moments. Do you have sugar?"

"Just one please."

He disappeared then, leaving Edward and myself standing there alone. It was pretty intense and I spun around slowly on the spot, looking at my surroundings once more.

"Nice place, isn't it?" I murmured quietly.

"Yeah."

Looking at him, he had his arms folded and he was staring ahead at the wall. Basically, he was pretty fed up.

"Edward, what's wrong? Are you still mad at Carlisle?"

He sighed. "No, no. It's not that."

After no explanation, I prompted him. "What is it, then?"

He looked at me briefly and shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

I rolled my eyes in frustration but didn't push him any further. "Are you sure you want to find out what Carlisle discovered?" I asked. "I mean, it might be serious stuff and I really don't want you to get upset about it all."

"I'll be fine, Bella." He smiled weakly. "It'll be good to know."

"You don't sound too convinced yourself."

Carlisle walked back in then, carrying two cups of coffee. He also had a pile of papers tucked under his left arm and my curiosity was prickled immediately.

"Thank you," I said when he handed me my drink. We took a seat and I practically sunk into the sofa; it was luxurious.

"Right," he murmured, sorting through the papers. I could feel my heart hammering already and wondered how Edward was feeling.

It looked as though he'd been making plenty of notes and I could see his scribbled handwriting covering most of the paper. There were lots of question marks and I imagined him staying up late into the night researching this. I looked closer at him and he did seem a little tired.

"I was on a family tree website," he said suddenly, catching me by surprise, "as I told you some time ago, and noticed that there were a few relatives still alive in the Cullen family that might know something."

I nodded along.

"And I managed to contact someone who was apparently my Aunt, although I had no idea. She was pretty surprised to hear from me at first, but I couldn't blame her, really. After she'd gotten over the shock and rambled away about her life, I asked her about my parents and Edward."

He paused, and I urged him along, feeling really anxious.

"Basically, my birth was all one big mistake. My parents didn't want anymore children and they had an argument about whether they should abort or not, mainly because of their financial insecurities. I was basically an accident." I shifted around awkwardly, feeling incredibly sorry for him. "I found out that, at birth, I was actually adopted and never knew about it." He trailed off. "The people who I thought were my parents weren't."

"Oh gosh, Carlisle," I sighed. "That must have been so tough for you."

"Yeah," he breathed, looking away.

"How could my grandparents do that?" Edward suddenly asked, making me jump a little. "They never even mentioned him or anything. Surely my father would have noticed that his mother was pregnant?"

I asked Carlisle this and he sighed. "Edward's father had left home by the time my mother fell pregnant. He would have never known."

"I'm sorry," I said, actually to both of them.

"Thank you," Carlisle murmured. He straightened up a little. "So, that's it, really. I'm Edward's uncle."

"Did you ask your other parents who brought you up about being adopted?"

"That would be impossible," he sighed. "They passed away a few years ago."

"Oh." I'd done it again... "Sorry. They probably would have told you eventually."

He nodded. "I just hope I don't lose Edward now."

I automatically placed a hand on his shoulder, a small attempt at comfort. "That's exactly how I feel. We're in this together now."

We looked each other in the eyes and shared a small smile for a few moments.

"Anyway, I'll be right back," he said suddenly, standing upwards and making my hand flop to my lap.

"Okay."

He quickly left and I wondered if he'd gone to compose himself. Despite this, while I had the chance, I turned towards Edward and took in how he looked. His expression was a mixture of disbelief and a little bit of relief.

"Are you alright?" I asked quietly.

"It wasn't quite so bad as I expected," he admitted. "But I didn't realise my uncle was in such a bad position._ And_ it wasn't my father's fault, which is such a weight off my mind."

It felt wonderful when he called Carlisle his uncle and I smiled, even though he'd had a hard time.

"We can help him now," I continued. "When you wake up, you'll all be a family again."

He looked straight at me. "_If_ I wake up."

* * *

"So, do you need to get back now?"

Carlisle suddenly walked back into the room and he looked a little more cheerful. I half wondered if he was trying to get rid of me, though.

"Oh... should I leave?"

"Um... well, you don't have to," he shrugged. "I was just thinking you might want to."

I pondered this. "Well, this is gonna sound really cheeky but... I was basically wondering if I could please have a tour of the house? I'm just so curious and it's all so amazing..."

He smiled. "Sure. Follow me please, ma'am."

I think I actually giggled at this point and cringed at my behaviour.

"Here is the bathroom," Carlisle announced, opening the door and revealing an aquamarine paradise. I nodded in approval.

"Here is the study," he continued, showing me a smaller room with a computer, more book shelves and general objects that belonged to this type of room.

We explored a few more rooms and I looked around in interest, and a few minutes later we came to what I assumed was the last one.

"And here is the spare room."

He flicked on the lights and I gasped, straight away catching sight of the object right in the middle of the room.

A piano.

I met Edward's gaze automatically and, for the first time since we'd been here, he smiled widely, his eyes lit up with excitement.

"Fantastic," he murmured.


	13. When She Had An Epiphany

**(A/N: The first quarter of this chapter is intentionally written in the present tense!)**

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Thirteen - When She Had An Epiphany_

**_A few days later..._**

"What are you thinking, Bella?"

Edward and myself are lying in a beautiful meadow, with wonderfully green grass, luscious flowers of every colour filling the air with their scent and an abnormally blue sky above us. The sun warms my skin and I close my eyes in bliss, feeling the heat.

"Nothing much," I reply. "Yourself?"

"I'm just thinking about you," he says and my eyes flicker open to meet his. I can feel colour flooding my cheeks as usual and I suddenly feel self conscious as he seems to examine my face.

"Your hair is beautiful in the light," he murmurs quietly, leaning forwards to run his hands through it. I close my eyes and feel myself shivering under his gentle touch. How can I feel ice cold even with the blazing sun above? "It has streaks of red in it," he observes.

"Yeah," I whisper, barely audible.

His eyes are close to mine and I'm overwhelmed by the colour; they're like emeralds and I can't begin to imagine how they are real. I could really just happily lose myself in them.

"And your skin is beautiful," he continues, his eyes scanning me. It's making me feel a little uncomfortable, yet my heart won't stop hammering wildly.

This time, he raises his hand and brushes his fingers lightly down my cheek, making goosebumps spread over my arms and the hairs stand on end on the back of my neck. God knows how he has this effect on me, but anytime soon I might be overcome with dizziness.

He is _so_ close to me now. So close that I can feel his cool breath on my skin. He's luring me in as though he's a deadly predator and I'm his prey. I stand no chance; he's the lion and I'm the lamb. As I edge closer towards him, the grass tickles underneath me.

"Your parents knew what they were doing when they named you."

I just look at him, anticipating what will happen next.

My eyes widen in shock as he shifts his body towards me, never leaving my gaze along the way. His soft lips seem inches away from mine now and the space between us slowly decreases, and suddenly we meet and my senses are paralysed.

His lips move expertly against mine and his hand creeps around to pull me closer, and my own run through his wild hair, gripping him tightly. His subtle smell fills me and numbs my brain and I gasp as the kiss intensifies.

Suddenly, I bolted straight up in my bed, catching my breath while Edward eyed me curiously across the room. I gulped in lungfuls of air greedily, feeling hot and completely breathless.

_Oh my goodness._

"Is something wrong, Bella?" he asked, joining my side. My head was filled with impure thoughts and I placed my head in my hands, trying to displace them.

It wasn't working.

What the _hell _was that dream all about? Well, I know what it was _about _but I was still just confused.

"Bella?" he repeated, clearly concerned now. "Please tell me what's wrong."

I eventually looked up to meet his eyes and was instantly attacked with images from my _way_ too vivid dream. I was in disbelief at how real everything had been; it was a little scary and I could still replay every moment in my head.

"Bad dream," I managed, giving him a small smile. That was a complete lie and I hoped it didn't show. According to Rose, my mouth twitches when I lie. "Never mind me," I added for good measure.

His eyebrows pulled together; crumbs, he didn't believe me. "Are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded enthusiastically, nearly giving myself whiplash. "What's the time?" Change of subject - always good.

Turning around in my bed, I checked the clock and realised that it was an hour before I should start getting ready for school. I groaned and slumped backwards, knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. The pillows inflated around me and I heard Edward chuckle.

_Oh God_... I desperately hoped I hadn't talked in my sleep. That had been a habit of mine in the past and I cringed to myself. During an unfortunate sleepover, Rose completely took the mick and recorded the whole event of me sleeptalking with her video camera. I think she still has it stashed away somewhere in her cupboard as evidence... one day I'll have to sneak in and destroy the stupid thing.

"Are you staying awake now?" he asked.

"Yeah, my mind's crazy at the moment," I laughed lightly. _Understatement. _"We could maybe talk for a bit?"

He nodded. "Sure. That sounds great."

Despite how hard I tried, it wasn't long before my thoughts automatically moved back towards the dream and, on the whole, I just couldn't understand what it was about. I knew I was frustrated about not being able to touch Edward so maybe all my frustrations were let out in this form...

The kiss was something I couldn't explain, though.

Maybe it was a... _oh God no_, please don't make it be a crush. _Please_. I could really do without fancying a _ghost_.

"Bella?"

I'd done it again; completely drifted off. "Sorry, Edward. What did you say?"

"This dream has really affected you hasn't it?" he said softly. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

I shook my head. "Sorry. Not really. What were you saying?" I stared at him for a moment; it would certainly be reasonable to _like_ Edward. But this feeling was more powerful compared to Jasper Whitlock. _Way_ more powerful.

It was scaring me.

"I was just saying how nice it was of my uncle to let you play his piano everyday after school," he smiled.

I blinked, realising I'd been in a daze again. "Yeah, yeah. I felt so embarrassed asking him though!"

"He didn't mind, you could tell. He was really willing."

I smiled this time. "He's really friendly."

"Yeah. Hopefully I'll be able to get to know him."

"It's good to be optimistic. Makes a change."

He paused for a brief moment. "He's going to want to visit me in hospital soon."

I nodded. "Probably. Do you want him to?"

It looked as though he was considering this for a moment; his face furrowed as he concentrated. "Well, I guess I have no choice really. I can't exactly stop him from doing so and he works there most days anyway. It's humbling that he's actually taking an interest."

"Well, he _is_ a member of your family."

"I'm just not used to people really caring," he admitted.

"Sorry," I murmured. "But Edward, he'll be expecting me to be there with him. I said so."

He just nodded.

"Should I go to visit you, then?" I asked slowly.

He shook his head so fast that I thought it was dangerous; he was mirroring my actions from earlier but in a negative manner. "No. _No_. You can't."

"Well, why not?" I demanded. "You'll let Carlisle go but not me. I don't quite understand."

Sighing, he replied, "It's... it's different with you."

"How?" I asked, a little too fiercely.

"I... I just don't want _you _seeing me, Bella. I can't explain... it's not something you should have to see. Carlisle is used to it, but it might distress you."

"Isn't that up to me to decide?"

He winced. "Bella, just... please? I don't want you to see me... it just wouldn't be right."

"Why?" I persisted. He was circling around the issue, never giving me a proper answer, and I was beginning to feel a little agitated.

"Bella, my injuries were pretty severe and I don't want you to see that. It's not something that someone who you l-" He paused, his eyes widening. He then stared at the floor and didn't reply for a while. Eventually, he murmured, "It's not something you should have to see, that's all. I'm sorry, I really am."

I nodded in defeat, knowing nothing was going to happen. "Alright. I think I'm gonna get up now."

He opened his mouth to say something but I interrupted.

"Please can I have some privacy? I need to change."

He left then, and I felt a mixture of guilt and even more frustration.

* * *

School was depressingly boring, but then again that was nothing new. It was the same old routine and Edward was quieter than usual, probably wary of my tiny outburst from this morning. I still felt quite bad, even though it was really _his_ fault. A little explanation surely couldn't be so difficult?

Despite this, there was some interesting news regarding Rose and Emmett, and she told me all about it during lunch while Edward listened on, rolling his eyes every now and then. I'd grown to learn that he couldn't really tolerate Rose and this did make me laugh, even though it shouldn't.

"I went to visit Emmett at home the other day," she told me, grinning a little. While she spoke, she toyed with her apple juice carton, breaking away the packaging. Thank goodness it was empty... "And we've decided to get back together."

My eyes widened. "Oh," I managed after a moment. "_Oh_, that's... that's a nice surprise!"

She smiled. "We were just meant to be. He realised that it was all a stupid misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" I repeated in disbelief. "But you did _kiss_ Jasper."

She dismissed this with a quick wave of her perfectly manicured hand. "Never mind that."

"How is he now, anyway? Do you know?" I asked. She looked confused. "Jasper, I mean."

"Oh, I think he's fine," she replied briefly. "Emmett wasn't really that violent."

I scoffed at this moment, my orange juice nearly going up my nose. As a result I started coughing manically, actually in_ pain_, while Edward just watched on in amusement, as usual. I was starting to think he enjoyed witnessing my tiny misfortunes...

* * *

When the bell for the end of the day finally rang, I genuinely believed I could jump for joy and do a little happy dance.

However, I remained dignified and walked back to my truck with Edward, suddenly feeling very excited about going over Carlisle's house. He'd actually given me a spare key seeing as he was still working at the hospital and this clearly showed that he trusted me. We hadn't really known eachother for that long but it still made me feel a little warm inside and I was really pleased about having such a wonderful place to myself.

Well, along with Edward of course.

We talked happily during the journey and, luckily, this morning's incident seemed to be forgotten. I couldn't help wondering, though, if Carlisle was going to visit Edward after his shift. And I couldn't help thinking about my dream either.

Edward _was _good looking after all and we had bonded...

A few minutes later we found ourselves inside the wonderful house again, looking around in awe, and the beautiful piano was waiting in front of us.

I suddenly felt a little nervous.

"Um, Edward, I'm probably gonna be rubbish... maybe this isn't such a good idea."

He shook his head. "No, you're not going to bail out now. Sit down there."

I didn't move, surprised by his authoritative tone.

"Please?" he added, smiling angelically. I was helpless.

I sighed, sitting down in front of the keys. In all honesty, I felt a little lost.

"Right," he said, kneeling beside me. "I'll have to teach you the basics first. Place your hand there." I did as he ordered, my finger hovering over a key. "That's an A. The key next to it is B, then C, and so on all the way through to G, and then it repeats itself. This C here closest to the middle of the piano is called the middle C."

"That's logical," I replied helpfully.

"Now the black keys are called the sharps or flats, depending on whether or not they are high or low." I nodded along, slightly engrossed by the expression on his face as he explained.

As the hours passed by, he taught me more and more, and did it in such a way that I was just in awe. He made everything simple and would really make a brilliant music teacher. I told him this but he just shrugged it off, clearly embarrassed.

By the end of our time there I was able to read some notes, with help, even though I was still a little shaky, and I could play the tune to_ Twinkle Twinkle Little Star _which, to me, was a fantastic achievement, and I was beaming when we walked back towards the truck.

"Am I any good?" I asked, starting up the engine.

He nodded. "Yeah, you seem to be naturally talented." His smile was so wide and it seemed to make his eyes sparkle; I'd never seen him look so happy. "It was wonderful hearing some piano music again, even if it was a nursery rhyme."

I grumbled. "It's a nice enough tune."

He laughed. "I guess. But you're always easily amused."

I didn't comment on that. "Maybe I could buy some kind of piano CD," I suggested. "Y'know, if you're missing the music."

He thought for a moment. "That's not a bad idea actually. If you wouldn't mind, that is..."

"It'd be my pleasure."

I could feel him looking at me and began to feel a little paranoid. "Bella," he suddenly said, "you've done so much for me. You really didn't have to help me, yet you did." He paused. "Why did you help me?"

I shrugged. "I had to. You wouldn't stop pestering me if I didn't."

"No, seriously, Bella? Why did you?"

His eyes bored into mine and I swallowed shakily. "I don't know... it seemed as though I was the only person who could. Only I could see you, remember?" I smiled at the end and he did so too, only briefly, though.

"I guess. Were there any other reasons?"

"I _wanted_ to help you, Edward," I replied honestly.

"Okay." He seemed happy and convinced with my answer. "Thank you."

"You're starting to repeat yourself," I teased. "It's seriously fine. It's been my pleasure."

We looked at eachother for a while and I knew then exactly what was happening. It terrified me, but it was blindingly clear that I was falling for Edward. It was a _really _bad thing to happen; he was a ghost for goodness' sake, but I just couldn't stop myself. I loved his company, everything seemed natural between us, he made me smile, he was really good looking...

Ah,_ crumbs_.

We arrived home after a few minutes and I just stared ahead over the wheel, my thoughts whirling around. It had sure taken me long enough to have this epiphany but it was now startlingly obvious.

"Okay?"

I heard his deep voice and closed my eyes automatically, the sound seemingly to reinforce my newly-found feelings.

_This_ really_ wasn't good._

Turning towards him, I managed a smile, feeling a little ashamed of myself. This really could end badly and it was highly likely; the odds were against me.

"Yeah," I murmured weakly.


	14. When There Was A Breakthrough

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Fourteen - When There Was A Breakthrough_

**_A few weeks later..._**

I had a similar dream for the next few weeks on end, but there were many different variations of scene. Some were back in the meadow, some were in school and some were, worryingly, in my bedroom.

Despite this, they still involved the same person, the same longing and the same kissing. I woke up panicking every time, wondering what I might have said aloud after each one. Luckily Edward seemed to be acting fairly normal and I _assumed_ that I'd kept my mouth shut for once.

The time went gradually by and we'd still heard nothing at all from the police. I was certainly beginning to feel a little disheartened and it was difficult to imagine what Edward felt. I'd never asked him, though, and wasn't sure if I really should; it was important to him and bringing it up could upset him. Besides, he seemed far away and deep in his thoughts all the time and I didn't want to disturb him.

Carlisle seemed a bit quiet too, and I wondered if he had visited Edward after all. We still went to his place after school more or less every day and hadn't come across him for a long time.

I still kept seeing Charlie on Fridays and he seemed really_ so _much better. It was almost certain that he'd be coming home soon and, even though that was great, I was still scared about the whole him-being-around-while-Edward-was-still-there thing. It was _unlikely_ that Charlie would actually be able to see him too, but it still made me feel a little anxious.

Still, one step at a time.

Waking up, I was shocked to see Edward_ right_ in front of me; if it was possible, his nose could have touched mine.

I automatically knew it was him because, as my eyes focused, all I could make out was shocking blurs of green that could only be _his_ eyes.

"Hello," I mumbled into the pillow, my voice sounding as though it had been deprived of water for a few days. I immediately felt self conscious and coughed, trying again. "Hello," I repeated, sounding more normal. "Sorry about that. A frog seems to have made a home out of my throat."

He chuckled. "How are you this morning?"

"Pretty good thanks," I smiled, sitting upright and stretching my arms. I was careful to make sure nothing clicked, knowing that Edward disliked it. "Yourself?"

"Same old," he replied, smiling crookedly again. "Actually, are you sure you're alright? I couldn't help noticing that you tossed and turned quite a few times last night."

My eyes widened and I cringed to myself; I'd been dreaming _a lot_ again last night and Edward had managed to secure the star role. It was really messing with my head and I didn't know what to think anymore.

"I was just dreaming," I answered, not meeting his eyes. My attempt at nonchalance was laughably pathetic but Edward seemed oblivious.

"And how was it?" he asked.

"It was..._ nice_," I lied, my reply sounding more like a question.

He smirked and muttered something which sounded like _descriptive _under his breath.

"Thank you," I replied, then quickly frowned to myself. "Hang on, what day is it?"

"Tuesday," he answered, and I groaned almost immediately. "What's wrong?"

"I have school. _That's_ what's wrong." I slumped back down. "All I ever seem to do is moan about it."

"Have the day off," he suggested. "Surely you won't miss _that_ much."

"What would my excuse be, though? _I wasn't in yesterday because I couldn't be bothered?_"

A smirk appeared on his face again, something which I adored and made my stomach flutter a little. Gee, what was _happening_ to me?

"Well, it's up to you," he added.

I thought for a moment. "No, I'd better go in. We're doing some fairly important work in English today... that's where I first saw you," I smiled to myself and he did the same. My mind transported back to that day which I could remember like it was just yesterday, but which, in reality, had actually happened many weeks ago now. "I always think of it when I'm in that classroom," I pondered. "It was quite embarrassing, though."

"Yeah." He looked like he was fighting a smile because his jaw tightened and his lips pursed together. "When you fainted, you hit the desk pretty hard."

"Thanks for reminding me," I said bluntly. "I'd forgotten all about that. Although, the permanent dent in my forehead is _quite_ a reminder."

He laughed heartily. "No problem." He paused, then squinted to check my forehead. I snorted.

"I was joking, you idiot."

A disgruntled expression crept onto his face. Gosh, he really did look wonderful whatever his mood was. There were probably loads of girls that lusted after him before all this happened and when he could still be seen.

My eyes suddenly widened. Had he had a _girlfriend_?

No, _no_. He would have told me. She would have been worried.

But still... Why did the thought of that repulse me? Considering it made waves of jealousy creep over me, something that was quite sickening. Sure, I'd experienced times of being a green eyed monster when it came to Jasper Whitlock, but this feeling was overpowering.

"Bella?"

I'd been daydreaming _again. _"Sorry, Edward. W-What were you saying?"

"I was just saying about how you can be quite fiery sometimes. In a good way, though," he added quickly, clearly noticing my expression. "Y'know, just now with me and that one time in the supermarket." I opened my mouth to start protesting over the fact that the woman behind the counter had slammed down my biscuits _way_ too hard and caused them all to break when he raised a hand to stop me. "No, no, hang on. I'm making my point here," he grinned. "On the day that I met you, you were quite forceful with the nurse too."

"But that was different. She was irritating beyond _belief_. And besides, you really did scare me and I was in an unstable mental state," I replied seriously, trying to distract myself away from my thoughts before. Did he think I was hot headed? Surely I wasn't _that_ bad...

"That's understandable," he answered. "I still feel awful about making you crash your truck."

"It's forgotten," I replied quickly, managing a small smile. "Onto more pressing matters, do you think I'm too fiery sometimes, then?"

He smiled back. "No, no. I actually like a woman who sticks up for herself." He winked at me and my heart fluttered by his unusual action; it wasn't in his character. He actually looked a bit worried that he'd done the wrong thing but I quickly grinned back, and relief flooded his face. I was _definitely_ going to encourage the winking from now on.

"Anyway," I suddenly said, heaving myself upright. "Time to get ready I think. Oh, the fun never ends."

"Sarcasm, Bella," Edward warned, heading towards the door already. His back was to me but I could hear the smile in his voice. I laughed back.

"See you in a minute."

* * *

"Bella?"

Edward suddenly spoke up while we were queuing in the cafeteria and I glanced over at him subtly, aware that we were surrounded by plenty of people who would probably notice almost straight away if I started acting oddly.

I inclined my head a little to make him carry on.

"I... it's happened suddenly, but I feel... different."

Paying for my sandwich and apple, my eyes widened and the lady at the counter gave me a strange look. "Are you alright, love?"

"Yeah," I nodded, a little too quickly. "I'm... uh, just a bit surprised at the price of this food."

I bit my lip, knowing I'd said the wrong thing, and she narrowed her eyes at me. "Well you know what to do if you want to complain," she spat, her gaze suddenly ice cold. "There's a box of feedback forms over there," she jerked her thumb in some random direction, "so feel free to leave your thoughts."

I was a little alarmed at her outburst but smiled sweetly and nodded, gathering my food. "Uh... thanks."

As I walked away, I distinctly heard her mutter_ just like her father _and had to resist the urge to turn around and defend him. How_ dare_ she say that about Charlie? She didn't even _know_ him. He was just a _celebrity _in Forks because it was such a small place and the news about his alcohol addiction travelled fast.

Well, stuff her. We'll see what she thinks when he comes out of rehab completely clean and refreshed.

I'd been having an internal debate that was so intense and I hardly noticed when I nearly tripped over a table. I finally managed to sit down and glanced at Edward, who was looking a little boggled.

Wow, I really _was _quite hot headed.

"Evil cafeteria staff," he chuckled, his eyes crinkling on the edges.

"Yeah," I agreed, flipping open my phone as usual for cover and biting into my apple. It was soft and soggy, and I gagged, chucking it back onto the table in disgust. "Ugh, she's trying to poison us all now."

He smiled briefly and I suddenly remembered what he'd told me that had caused all this anger.

"Oh, sorry, completely forgot," I shook my head. "How do you mean by feeling different?"

His eyebrows furrowed together, an expression I soon recognised as one which he adopts while thinking deeply. "I'm not sure. I can't even describe it." He thought for another moment, opening and closing his mouth several times. "It's like..._ argh_, I can't find the words." He glanced up, noticing my flummoxed expression. "Sorry. That wasn't very helpful."

I shook my head once more. "Don't worry. Sometimes there are feelings you just can't put into words."

That was something I knew only too well and the significance of what I'd said lingered in the air around us. I wasn't sure if he'd noticed it, but things seemed a lot more intense for me as a result.

He remained silent for a while, clearly lost in his thoughts again. While he was, I made a start on my sandwich and was surprised to find it actually tasted quite pleasant. There didn't seem to be any trace of strange ingredients or whatever.

"Is it good different or bad different?" I offered after a while, trying to make the explaining easier for him.

"Uh, it's just... different."

"Hmm. Maybe..."

"No, Bella, you are _not _going to go to the hospital."

My mouth dropped open; he'd just read my thoughts.

"How did you know I was gonna say that?" I protested.

He smiled. "I just know you now."

I pouted. "But that _was_ a good idea. We'd know if there had been any developments..."

"Hmm."

"That's a no, then," I huffed. "Well, I could always call Carlisle."

"Maybe that's a better idea," he pondered and I looked up at him. There was a strange expression on his face; something that looked like fear. He seemed so vulnerable and again I just wanted to wrap my arms around him. "I'm scared, Bella," he suddenly admitted.

A mixture of pain and frustration swept through me once more. I _really_ wanted to do something to help him, to comfort him, but knew I couldn't. It was so irritating and I sometimes just wanted to throw something. I was so _fed up_ with this feeling.

"It'll be okay," I tried, knowing my words meant nothing. "I'll ring Carlisle now."

"What if he's working, though?"

I bit my lip. "It's worth a try."

After I'd dialled the numbers, my hands starting shaking and I dropped my head in embarrassment, feeling very paranoid. Glancing quickly around, nobody seemed to be looking in our direction, and I jumped when Carlisle's voice came softly into my ear.

"Hello this is Dr Carlisle Cullen. I'm afraid I..."

I snapped the phone shut and then remembered, and reopened it again. "Answer phone," I told Edward. He sighed as a result.

"Maybe you could go to the hospital yourself?" I suggested and his face fell.

"I haven't been there for ages." His gaze was focused on the table. "It scares me now."

I admired his honesty and smiled briefy. "Alright. Okay. Well, we'll just have to stay at his house tonight and wait till he comes home." I paused. "Although maybe he'd be pretty annoyed at us for doing that."

"He doesn't seem the type of person to get annoyed. What time does his shift finish, anyway?"

"About 9ish I think."

He frowned. "Maybe I should just go to the hospital myself."

"No, Edward," I protested. "You don't want to, so you shouldn't have to."

He met my eyes and nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

"Excuse me, Isabella Swan?

A new voice came from behind me and it was the dinner lady who had given me the abuse a few minutes before. I looked up at her in confusion.

"You're not allowed mobile phones in the cafeteria."

I frowned. "Since when?"

"Since _now_." She held out her wrinkled hand and I sighed, knowing it was no use to protest. I placed my phone in her hand.

"When can I get it back?" I demanded.

"The end of the week," she answered, walking away and placing it in her back pocket. I suddenly felt repulsed and panicked; I had no way of contacting anyone now for a few days. What if there was an emergency? Gah, why hadn't I just protested like a _normal person_?

"I'm an idiot," I declared, placing my head in my hands.

Edward snorted. "No, you're not. I'm sure you just don't like conflict." He paused. "Actually, that's not completely true."

I just sighed.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by horribly slowly, mainly because we were both so on edge. I'd practically gnawed away all of the skin around my thumb nail and Edward wandered off a lot, claiming he need some 'time alone.'

Most of the time I was afraid he wouldn't come back, but everytime he did I sighed heavily with relief. I was like a parent, worried everytime my child went out of my sight.

"Can't you just skip last lesson?" Edward pleaded in the corridor. His tone sounded so desperate that I half expected him to be on his knees, begging. "I can't _stand_ staying in a classroom for another hour. These teachers are so dull."

"Sorry, it'll look bad if I skip. You're most definitely a bad influence, though."

He smirked. "I do apologise." We stepped through the doors and sighed almost simultaneously. "This had better be interesting."

"You don't have to come along," I muttered quietly.

"Someone's gotta keep you company. And besides you seem to panic everytime I leave."

I cleared my throat in embarrassment. "Anything could happen."

We settled down at the back for the lesson and within half a minute or so my mind had already travelled away from the topic. I'd come to the conclusion that whatever was happening with Edward couldn't be something bad. If it was, he would have disappeared like he did last time. I shuddered just thinking about it.

Maybe we'd had a breakthrough...

"Miss Swan?"

I bolted upright, realising the teacher was looking directly at me. _Crumbs_. "Sorry, sir?"

"Not listening again," he tutted. "Your mind has been wandering a lot lately, Miss Swan. Please do try to focus." I nodded. "No doubt there's a boy involved," he muttered under his breath and my face flustered.

When he turned back to teach the class I grabbed some paper and scrawled the words _bad influence _down in big capital letters, underlining it several times for effect. Edward caught sight of it and chuckled.

"Sorry, again."

* * *

We'd spent many hours at Carlisle's house after school had _finally_ ended and, even though I enjoyed playing the piano with Edward, it was clear that we were both anxious for the owner to get back the whole time. I made quite a few silly mistakes but he didn't seem to mind. He was clearly just as distracted as me.

When the clock eventually ticked past nine, I began pacing around frantically, nearly making permanent grooves in Carlisle's soft carpet. My thoughts were whirling around, desperately anticipating news and always swinging back and forth about whether it'd be good or bad. Maybe there'd be no news at all. That'd be a disappointment.

Or maybe it'd be a relief. I honestly didn't know.

When the hands slowly ticked past half past, though, I began to feel frustrated.

"Where_ is_ he?"

Edward shrugged. "Maybe he was held up."

Just as he said this, there was the sound of a door opening and Carlisle suddenly rushed through into the room, clearly surprised to see me. He looked flushed but his eyes seemed alert and strangely frantic.

"Bella, I've been phoning you all day!" He ran his fingers through his unnaturally messy hair. "Couldn't you have picked up?"

I reached into my pocket then winced. "Ah, sorry! My phone was confiscated. Why, has something happened?"

"I thought you might be at the hospital but you weren't, so then I went back to your house and it seemed empty..." He paused for breath. "Blimey, I never thought I'd find you. And yes, something _has_ happened."

My heart thumped wildly and I felt Edward approach by my side. The tension was practically prickling in the air and I suddenly felt sick. Please, please, _please_ make it be good news. "W-What is it?"

Carlisle looked at me and suddenly smiled widely, his eyes twinkling and the intensity disappearing from his face. "Edward's gradually recovering. He's showing signs of waking up soon. Could be any day now."

My hand clasped over my mouth in joyful disbelief and I reached out to hug Carlisle. I met Edward's gaze and we both smiled happily at eachother. So _that_ explained why he was feeling different earlier...

It was most _definitely_ good different. No, stuff that, it was fantastic different. No, _b__rilliant_ different.

Edward could wake up soon!


	15. When There Was More Waiting

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Fifteen - When There Was More Waiting_

Even though we'd just had _really_ exciting news, all we could realistically do was just wait. It was annoying and I was naturally incredibly impatient, but there was nothing else we could do.

To keep myself occupied, I kept teasing Edward a lot, asking him if he could possibly wake up faster. He usually just smiled it off and muttered something inaudible; in fact he actually looked a bit preoccupied a lot of the time, almost as though my voice had brought him inconveniently out of his thoughts. When I looked closely, I could see that he sometimes moved his lips quietly, speaking silently to himself. It was a little strange and I wasn't sure if he realised that he was doing it. I decided to leave him to it, though, and didn't question him.

He continued in the same way for a while and on a Wednesday evening I just had to do something about it, growing increasingly frustrated.

"Are you secretly a philosopher?" I asked him while we watched something stupid on TV. Edward turned slowly towards me with such a look of confusion on his face that I just had to laugh. "Explain," he murmured, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just that you always seem to be thinking about things," I shrugged. "It sounds a bit silly now."

He smiled. "That's probably because I always _am _thinking about things."

"Oh." _Fair answer._ "Would it be annoying of me to ask exactly _what _you think about?"

"Uh... well, it's normally just _things,_" he shrugged, almost as though he _really_ didn't want to tell me.

"Helpful," I mumbled. "And don't make a comment about the sarcasm, _please_."

It looked as though he was having a hard time because his lips began twitching, but he remained quiet, staring ahead once more and folding his hands in his lap. I decided to watch him for a little while. He was just always so stoic... so _beautiful_.

_No, I'm definitely _not_ going down that trail of thought again. It's not healthy._

I shook my head to remind myself and, just as I was considering getting a book to read, Edward spoke up.

"Bella?"

I turned around to face him and he suddenly looked a little hesitant. I nodded to prompt him. "Um, what's gonna happen if I wake up?"

A frown automatically appeared on my face. "I don't quite understand what you mean... _when_ you wake up, you'll just... well," I shrugged. "Hopefully you'll get better."

He looked at me for a long time. I couldn't hold his gaze during that time, mainly because it was so intense and just _strange_. He looked so tortured.

"I meant..." he trailed off, seeming uncomfortable and awkward. "I meant what would happen between... _us_."

A weird noise escaped from my mouth and I felt the heat flood my cheeks. _Us? _Blimey, this wasn't what I'd anticipated.

"Uh... well, I presume you'd go back to wherever it is that you live and get on with your life." Speaking these words made me feel a little sick because it was the _last_ thing I wanted, but it was also the most likely thing to happen, so I just had to accept it.

The thought of Edward leaving me made me just want to cry, though.

He stared at me with his mouth hanging open. After a while, he nodded slowly and whispered, "Okay."

I nodded too, trying to ignore the tightness in my throat. _Keep strong, don't cry in front of him... _"I'm, uh, just gonna get a drink," I told him, jerking my thumb in a random direction and heading towards the kitchen, where I somehow managed to compose myself. I leant over the sink, feeling the cool marble against the palms of my hands, and I took a few deep breaths.

While I was doing so, though, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being watched and just _prayed_ that Edward hadn't sneaked in and seen me.

* * *

The following morning meant another day at school, another day of unbearable waiting. I was a little panicky that the one ridiculous member of the cafeteria staff still had my mobile; I felt lost and vulnerable without it. Something could happen to Edward and I wouldn't know.

Despite this, Carlisle had promised that he'd tell me as soon as something happened and that thought comforted me a little. I wanted to be there right at the moment when Edward woke up. I wanted to be the first person his eyes focused on and who his brain registered.

I wanted him to remember me.

That thought had been plaguing me a lot more lately; there wasn't really any reason why he should forget me but, if he did, I wouldn't be able to handle it. It would be like a loss. A death.

So I tried to avoid that thought path.

As a substitute, I often found myself thinking about Edward's looks. It was shallow of me, and I was fully aware of it, but I just couldn't help wondering, again, if he'd had any girlfriends before. I was becoming so pathetic and cringed when I realised what I was thinking, but just couldn't stop myself.

I'd really be worried if I started becoming possessive. Was I already?

I found myself thinking what these girlfriends would look like, if they were anything like me...

"Bella?"

I recognised the voice immediately and turned towards Edward, raising my eyebrows to let him continue.

"_You_ looked pretty deep in your thoughts then," he commented. "I must be an influence."

"I've told you that before," I teased, causing a brief chuckle from him.

"Is there anything wrong, though?" he asked, his face turning serious. In fact, ever since our talk last night, he'd been looking pretty glum and was quieter than usual. I felt a little guilty; if I'd told him the truth and begged him to stay with me once he'd woken up, perhaps he'd be a bit more cheerful. Then again, maybe he'd be quite scared and would run a mile to save himself.

Maybe he was sad because of a completely different reason. Gee, there was so much _mystery_ with Edward.

"I was just thinking."

"About what?" he asked.

"About _things_," I answered, echoing his earlier reply. He smiled briefly and murmured, "Okay." It was practically a repeat of yesterday.

We were silent for a while and things felt a bit more tense than usual. I decided to make a light hearted remark. "So, are you planning on waking up _today_?"

"It's weird, I keep trying to, like... _willing _myself to. I concentrate really hard, but it just ends up taking most of my energy. So I have no idea, sorry."

"It's fine," I replied, but it wasn't. Or was it? When Edward wakes up, maybe I'd lose him. It looked like that was gonna happen. Then again, the fact I'd be able to see him was enough to keep me going, and I continued looking forward optimistically, anxiously anticipating the moment.

* * *

The morning dragged by unbearably and lunch was the normal boring affair. I spent most of my time staring ahead at the wall looking at some of the posters, mainly because Edward was being so quiet. I didn't have my usual way of disguising our conversation via mobile phone, so I presumed it was because of that and _not_ because of something I'd done.

By the time when there was five minutes left, I'd almost fallen asleep on the table and what I _completely_ wasn't unexpecting was an urgent outburst from Edward.

"_Bella_?" he called. "Bella, you see that girl over there with the bright red hair?"

I frowned and squinted over to the other side of the room, surely seeing a girl with such a shade of dyed red hair that it actually hurt my eyes. "Yeah?" I muttered.

"I was watching her as she walked by and she was wearing a necklace that was really,_ really_ similar to one of my mother's."

My eyes widened. "Wow, really?" He nodded. "Are you sure?"

"I'll go and take a closer look."

Before I could blink he was right over there, directly in front of her. She didn't seemed fazed and continued talking to her friends, laughing and occasionally throwing her head back. It was quite comical watching Edward inspecting her and I would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.

He was soon back by my side, looking both grave and slightly excited. "I'm nearly one hundred percent positive it's my mother's necklace," he told me. "It's got the same patterns, the same marks and damage... it looks _so_ much like it."

Chewing on my lip, I asked, "But it could just be another similar one of the necklaces made."

"You'd be able to tell if you checked for the picture inside. It's a locket, just like yours."

My eyes widened. "God, I didn't think of that."

"You could go over and ask her about it."

"Edward, I can't do that... she'd protest."

"I can't see any other way, though," he pondered.

I thought to myself for a moment, realising how important and potentially vital this could be. There seemed to be no other way, like Edward had said, so I suddenly stood up with determination. "I'm gonna go over there and just ask her... I'll say... I dunno, I'll think of something."

I didn't sound too confident with myself, but Edward smiled regardless, always grateful. "Thanks Bella. Uh... good luck."

"She's probably gonna think I'm really weird," I sighed, my voice turning high pitched at the end.

The walk across the cafeteria seemed to last forever and, when I eventually reached her, she still had her back to me, and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't just tap on her shoulder; that seemed like a childish thing to do, but I couldn't just stand there hovering either. I just had to take a deep breath and speak up...

"Um, excuse me?"

Her two friends who she was talking to both frowned, but she turned around curiously, meeting my eyes with her piercing blue ones. I automatically glanced down at her necklace.

"Sorry to bother you, I just couldn't help noticing your necklace," I stumbled, praying that she wouldn't take this the wrong way. "It's l-lovely."

She stared at me for a moment that seemed to last forever, probably wondering what was happening, but she then smiled. "Thank you." It appeared as though she was the type of person who just _adored _compliments, even from random strangers. "It was pretty expensive." She toyed with it between her long fingers and I suddenly felt quite angry. If this was Edward's necklace...

"Where did you get it, if you wouldn't mind me asking?" I continued shakily, apparently still on her good side. I fiddled with my own locket. "I'd like to get another one."

"Oh, I wouldn't know," she replied breezily. "My boyfriend gave it to me."

"Is it a locket?" I asked. "Does it open up?"

I was afraid that I was throwing too many questions at her, but she pulled her over-plucked eyebrows together again, seeming to consider this. "I'm not sure actually... I never tried it. It just looked pretty so I put it straight on."

She then began fiddling with the clasp and eventually took it off. Then, with her painted nails, she began attempting to pry open the locket, and I stood there awkwardly with my breath held. Finally, after what felt like hours of trying, she opened it, and a tiny piece of paper fluttered out and onto the ground. With lightning speed, I bent down and picked it up before she could reach it. It lay face down in my palm and I was terrified to look at it.

"Oh, it's blank," I lied, trying to distract her. "How strange." Turning to the side and out of her view while she put the necklace back on, I took my own look at the picture and, sure enough, there was an old tattered image of a bronze haired lady and her son on her knee, who also had the same shade of hair. My eyes widened and my heart hammered even faster.

"It's the necklace. It's my _mother's_."

Edward's voice was in my ear and I almost jumped, but managed to contain myself, realising I still had company who was probably looking at me strangely. He sounded so angry, and I couldn't really blame him. We were _so_ close... but we had to tread carefully.

"Sorry about that," I said, laughing nervously. "I'm just stupidly curious. You said your boyfriend gave it to you..."

Her eyes glazed over. "Yeah... Jacob."

"Oh," I attempted nonchalance. "Jacob who?"

She was oblivious to my harsh questioning; it seemed as though she was perfectly content talking about herself all the time. She was a little thick too, because she gave his full name, even though we barely knew her. Surely she was _suspicious_? "Jacob Black," she answered. "He's a bit rough sometimes, but that's how I like them."

She added a wink and I suddenly felt quite sick. Maybe he was the person who'd hit over Edward. Or maybe he'd been sold the necklace by someone else... either way he had information and my heart hammered with the possibilities. This had all happened _so _quickly. "Well it's... it's l-lovely," I managed. "I might have to ask him to get me one, too."

"Oh, he was quite cagey when I asked him about it actually. Maybe it's one of a kind..."

I resisted the urge to grab the necklace and run away. At the same time I could see Edward grinding his teeth together. "Well, sorry to bother you. T-thank you."

We headed back towards the table and I felt the need to run straight to the police station. It seemed as though Edward was considering something similar and I met his gaze. "I could skip the rest of the day. This is important after all."

He smiled. "Thank you, Bella. I can't believe it... what a lucky coincidence."

"Yup," I said, reaching for my coat. "If they catch him now, though, she's probably gonna be quite angry with me."

"She'll have me to answer to, then," he replied, and I tried to figure out the meaning of that when I started up my truck. Maybe he was planning on sticking around after all...

* * *

"Wow," I murmured to myself.

We were heading home in my truck after giving evidence in the police station and I suddenly felt very excited. They had a name of the suspect which meant that they could consult his criminal record; apparently he'd committed several crimes before like stealing and causing bodily harm and had previously served a sentence in jail. I felt angry that he'd been let out because Edward wouldn't have had to suffer all he'd been through if he had just stayed in there.

Despite this, we'd definitely made another breakthrough and things were looking up. Edward was smiling broadly on the way home and I did the same. The thoughts of any consequences flew out of my mind.

"Soon we'll have your necklaces back," I said, turning to glance at him in the passenger seat.

He wasn't there.

_He wasn't there_.

I immediately started panicking and had to pull over to control my breathing. The sound of my heart pounding was loud in my ears and I rested my head on the steering wheel, remembering exactly what had happened the last time he vanished.

_Keep calm..._

I needed to get home to ring Carlisle.

The trees passed by in a blur as I raced home, the fastest speed I'd ever travelled. I knew Dr Cullen might be on his shift but I needed to hear his voice right _now_.

I needed to hear that Edward was okay.

I parked my truck and sprinted up to the front door, fumbling with my keys. Without wasting a moment, I grabbed the phone and dialled Carlisle's number. An unfamiliar woman answered first time and I apologised shakily, clearly having dialled the number incorrectly. Taking a deep breath, I tried again, and this time I got through.

"Bella? Bella, is that you?"

His frantic voice answered almost immediately. "Yeah, it is." I suddenly trailed off, realising that my phone call would probably seem pretty random to him. He didn't know that his nephew had disappeared... he didn't expect him to be a ghost. I'd kept all that from him, naturally.

Luckily he didn't seem to notice my silence, because he spoke quickly. "Bella, you need to get to the hospital_ now_."

My voice shook. "W-Why? What's h-happened to him?"

He took a deep breath. "Bella, Edward's waking up. He's waking up _right now_."


	16. When He Woke Up

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Sixteen - When He Woke Up_

The trip to the hospital was absolutely _unbearable_.

I was racing along the roads the whole way, trying to ignore the possibility and niggle at the back of my mind at being caught by the police. The traffic seemed to be against me, too, because there were several infuriating jams and times when I had to stop for long periods of time, trapped between several cars. It often involved me slamming the steering wheel in complete frustration and considering sprinting the rest of the way.

When I was about five minutes away, I started to _really_ panic. This was a huge moment and something that I'd been thinking about for months. My mind was whirling around, stuck on repeat like a broken record. _Would he remember me? What would happen then if he didn't? No, no, of_ course_ he would. You've had some great times together - he wouldn't just forget. But what if he had? I wouldn't even have been able to say goodbye. He'd be like a stranger now..._

I heard some brakes screech in front of me and narrowly escaped crashing into a car that was overtaking me. I didn't even glance at the driver because the hospital was just about in my view and I decided to pull over again like I had earlier. To my surprise, my whole body was shaking and I could barely grip the wheel anymore. I tried running my hands through my hair to relieve some of the stress but I ended up making a mess of myself.

I wound down the window, with a lot of effort considering it was such a stiff and old truck, and placed my head on the wheel, relishing in the refreshing and cool evening air blowing against my skin.

"Come on, Bella," I muttered aloud to myself. "It'll be okay. It'll be okay."

The pep talk never works in reality.

After a few minutes, I restarted the engine and carefully finished the journey to the hospital. There was no way I was going to be with Edward now _exactly_ when he woke up, but as long as I was actually _there,_ then that was okay. I think.

The parking lot seemed threatening to me; it was full of cars and seemed packed and claustrophobic. I knew I was being ridiculous and slowly parked the truck and stepped outside. My legs were like jelly beneath me and I somehow found my way to the entrance, working my way between the vehicles.

In the reception area I stammered away to the woman behind the counter, desperately asking her where Edward's ward was. Seconds after she told me, I rushed up the stairs, not even bothering to wait for the elevator. I could barely breathe when I reached the top; maybe it wasn't such a good idea with my asthma, and I leant against the wall, fighting the pain in my chest to stagger forwards.

I swallowed loudly and looked up to see Carlisle step out into the corridor. He glanced around and as soon as he caught my gaze, he rushed over and placed his hands softly on my shoulders.

"Bella, are you alright? You look very pale."

"I... I ran up the s-stairs," I told him. "Sorry, I've just been r-rushing around. I p-panicked after your phonecall."

He nodded. "Well, just take some long, deep breaths, keep calm. It'll be alright."

I followed his instructions and calmed down a tiny bit. "Is he awake?"

"No, not quite, but he keeps stirring," he said, leading me down to the room. "He'll be awake during the hour I should think."

The blood began pounding in my ears and made everything around me buzz strangely. "Gosh." _I was going to see Edward. I was actually going to see him!_

We reached a door and I couldn't quite manage looking through the window and inside just yet. Instead, I turned my back and leant against it, facing Carlisle. "Is this it?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes." After a moment's pause, he frowned. "Did you say you've visited him before?"

I hoped it wasn't too obvious that I was lying. "Uh... yeah. Has he changed m-much? It's been a w-while."

"Not too much. He's still quite bruised, but I'm sure he'll be relieved to see you."

"I hope so," I whispered.

He met my eyes steadily. "Ready now?"

_No. _"I... I don't know."

I felt his arms on my shoulders again; it was a soothing gesture and my breathing momentarily steadied. I suddenly wanted my father here. "Okay," I murmured quietly. "Let's do this."

My hand gripped on the handle and I closed my eyes once more, before letting us both inside. I could barely breathe once we were past the door and my eyes were becoming blurred by the hastily gathering tears, but we persisted slowly forward.

Then, all of a sudden, he was in front of us and in my vision.

Seeing Edward lying there completely still on the crisp hospital bed was both strange and breathtaking at the same time. The word that came to mind was surreal; it was a bit like seeing your true reflection for the first time instead of the one that always greets you in the mirror. He was the same, but just a little bit different.

I was accustomed to seeing him in his ghostly manner; almost transparent and nearly always looking lost. But in front of me now was his body - his physical, real body that I could touch and hold. His flesh and bones.

It was all very overwhelming.

Despite this, he was still _beautiful_. I continued to greedily look at him; his wild bronze hair that probably hadn't been brushed for weeks, his defined cheekbones, his lips.

I couldn't _wait_ to see his eyes properly.

It was understandable why he hadn't wanted me to see him, though; compared to his lively ghostly self, he looked helpless and really weak. His skin, what I could see of it, was covered in purplish-yellow bruises and he had several wounds, some of which had stitches.

His left leg was in plaster, but I couldn't see anything more because the sky blue cover was pulled up and over his chest. He looked a little thin too, probably because he'd been fed by a drip for the past few weeks.

_Oh Edward._

"When d-do you think he'll wake up?" I asked Carlisle quietly, surprised that my voice was quite strong.

"You've asked me that before."

I didn't take my eyes off Edward, but smiled anyway. "Oh, sorry. I forgot. My mind's turned to mush."

"It's really unpredictable," he answered with a chuckle, and I wondered if he was referring to Edward or my mind. "But I'm sure he'll wake up when he's ready." That gave me my answer.

I turned around briefly and gave him another small smile, even though I was _unbelievably_ frustrated. At the same time I felt anxious; my thoughts had travelled once more along the path of wondering about whether Edward would actually remember me. I tried not to think about that too much because it made me panic; the thoughts of him losing all the memories of our time together was heartbreaking.

I edged slowly towards Edward and took a seat beside him, carefully leaning forwards and toying with the idea of clutching his hand. I glanced at Carlisle for approval and he nodded. "Feel free, I'm sure it'll comfort him when he wakes up."

My head nodded rigidly and I gradually reached over to clutch his hand. I was afraid at how fragile he would be, but I slowly entwined my fingers between his and the tingle that shot up through my arm took my breath away.

I'd wanted to do this for _so_ long and now that I had, I felt pathetically close to crying.

My thumb stroked his hand in soothing circles, an action that just felt so_ right_, and I took a closer look at him. This was just so surreal... it had to be a dream. Just to check, I pinched myself with my free hand and winced at the sharp pain. Nope, it was real enough.

I glanced back over at him and just watched him for a moment. He seemed peaceful at the moment. _Please remember me Edward. _Please_._

A sudden movement of his eyebrow caught my attention and completely replaced my previous thoughts. "Oh my God," I gasped. "Did you see that? Did he just move, Carlisle or am... am I imagining things?"

I expected the answer to be the latter, but there was a rush of movement as he joined my side and squinted over to inspect the patient.

"Edward?" I whispered, gripping his hand tighter. "Edward, it's B-Bella. Can you hear me?" I paused and there was no response. _No._ My mind raced around desperately. "Uh, squeeze my hand if you can. Please, Edward."

We waited with held breath and then, in a wonderful moment, his fingers moved briefly around my own. It was a small gesture, but it meant so much.

He was waking up. _He was actually waking up_.

I suddenly felt very nervous and very excited at the same time. It was a dangerous combination.

A groan came from his lips and my stomach practically flipped in response. I knew that groan _so_ well and had to resist the urge to laugh.

_This was really it_. Oh God, oh _God_...

His eyelids began fluttering and the expectation I felt was staggering. I felt sick. His head moved briefly from side to side and then, agonisingly slowly, he opened his eyes and frantically looked around the room, clearly disorientated and trying desperately to focus. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he sucked in nervous gulps of air.

His gaze eventually landed on me and it felt as though the breath had left my lungs. His eyes were just_ beautiful_. I'd never seen such a bright colour; they were so close to resembling emeralds.

But one thing that terrified me was the look of confusion in them. He frowned and opened his mouth gradually.

"Don't exert yourself, Edward," Carlisle suddenly said and I jumped; I'd_ completely_ forgotten that he was still here. Strangely, Edward's eyes didn't move away from mine and I blinked wildly, trying to will away the once again gathering tears.

I'd had so many dreams about this moment and now it just didn't feel real.

He continued to stare at me for an endless amount of time. I waited impatiently and he suddenly cleared his throat painfully. I expected him to say something, but he just carried on looking puzzled.

_Oh God_.

A whimper and oddly muffled sound escaped my lips suddenly. I knew it. He didn't know who I was. He'd forgotten. The weight of this crashed down on me and I had the sudden urge to run away. This room was too claustrophobic. Everything was today.

All the memories... they were worth nothing now.

I made another weird sound and started to stand up, but I suddenly felt his grip tighten on mine.

"Strange n-noises again?"

The croaky voice caught me completely by surprise and my eyes widened. Because of this, the moisture from there overflowed and trailed down my cheeks and onto our clasped hands. Edward had just spoken to me... Did that mean...?

"Y-You... Edward, you r-remember me?"

He just stared at me for a moment and then smiled, that wonderful crooked smile of his that I loved. "Of course I know you, Bella. How c-could I forget you?"

Everything seemed so perfect at that time and I threw my arms around him carefully, finally cherishing a hug that I'd always longed for. It felt amazing; better than I could have ever imagined.

"Wow, Bella," I suddenly heard Edward say from underneath me. "I can't believe I'm actually touching you." He paused. "Oh, that sounds quite w-weird. Ignore that," he chuckled.

I smiled against his hair, resisting the urge to run my fingers through it madly; that would probably scare him. "No," I gasped. "It r-really doesn't." In fact, it was more or less exactly what I was thinking myself.

He seemed to inhale at this point and I felt his warm breath against my ear. _Wow_. "Bella, you smell really good. I'd always wondered what you smelt like... your hair is just like strawberries."

"It's the shampoo," I replied.

"Can you get banana flavoured shampoo?"

I edged backwards to take a look at his face; he seemed perfectly serious and genuinely curious. "Uh... I should think so." I answered. "But don't you think strawberries smell better than bananas? You'd be walking around resembling a monkey. Or you'd attract them. Imagine that!"

He laughed, the skin around his eyes crinkling. He seemed to wince as he did so. "Ow, that hurt."

I looked at the marks on his face. "You're probably stretching your wounds or something. Be careful."

He grimaced. "You'll just have to stop making me laugh for a while."

"I'll try," I grinned.

I couldn't _believe_ this was happening. We were being incredibly close, as though we had known each other for a _long_ time, as well as intimate, so much so that it made my heart pound wildly and my head spin.

I suddenly remembered that Carlisle was here when he cleared his throat behind us. _Crumbs_.

We pulled apart and I turned around to meet him, my cheeks flooding with heat. "Sorry, Carlisle, we got a bit carried away there."

He chuckled heartily and glanced at Edward. "It's perfectly fine. How are you feeling, anyway?"

Edward tried to move and winced, clearly regretting it. "A bit sore, actually."

Carlisle smiled. "That's expected... I suppose you don't know who I am, then?"

Edward frowned and started, "Yes I..." Then he realised that he _shouldn't _know about Carlisle and shook his head frantically, making him wince again. "Ow, I really shouldn't do that," he said to me and I rolled my eyes at him. "Be careful."

He looked back to Carlisle to finish his sentence. "Sorry, no, I don't think I know you... are you a doctor here?"

Carlisle nodded. "You could say that." He turned to face me, smiling. "Well, it looks like we have a lot of catching up to do."

I looked at Edward and tried to forget everything else apart from what was happening at that moment. I wanted to remember it forever as being perfect and I knew deep down that I always would. "Yes," he sighed, "we really do."


	17. When They Faced The Real World

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Seventeen - When They Faced The Real World_

"You're my uncle? But... but _how_?"

Edward's acting skills were pretty impressive, I had to admit. His face furrowed in confusion while Carlisle explained everything to him about his family and the adoption, and I had a hard time stifling my laughter when he listened intently. He was like an obedient pupil, hanging off the teacher's every word, and when he met my eyes I had to turn away and bite my lip.

It was all very silly really.

When Carlisle was finished, Edward stared at him for a while and then slowly smiled. "But that's brilliant!" he beamed, before quietly murmuring, "I thought I didn't have anyone..." He paused, looking down at his hands. "Sorry, that's quite selfish."

Carlisle shook his head, smiling widely along with him. "No, it's really not. I feel the same way."

The amusement soon wore off and the tender look on Carlisle's face was very soft and paternal. I supposed he hadn't really had the opportunity to feel this way yet, and wanted to look after Edward. He clearly enjoyed taking care of people because of his job, but he now had someone of his own flesh and blood, and that was a very nice thought.

I suddenly felt quite emotional and again longed to see my own father. I'd have to leave Edward on his own for a while tomorrow while I visited him, and suddenly cursed myself for being so self centred.

Edward might have caught the look on my face, because he suddenly asked Carlisle to leave. "Sorry, would you mind if Bella and myself had some time together alone? It sounds horrible of me, but I just need to talk to her about a few... things."

As usual, he smiled in a friendly way and stood up. Despite this, there seemed to be a strange hidden emotion on his face and his smile didn't seem too genuine. "No problem. I'll just look over a few things first..." He did so, checking all the machinery around Edward. Then, he pressed a button and said, "That's for the pain. Anyway, call me if you need me. I won't be far away."

"Will do. Thanks, uh, Uncle C," Edward replied tentatively and Carlisle walked outside, not looking in my direction and leaving us both alone again. His shoulders seemed tense, but I tried not to think about that too much.

It was silent in the room for a few moments, the only sound being the distant noises from within the hospital and the occasional patter of the blinds as they blew against the window after a sudden gust of chilly air.

"Are you okay?"

I was caught offguard by Edward's question, mostly because it was such a strange one to be asking. "Shouldn't_ I_ be asking _you_ that?"

He smiled, shifting about so that he could sit up a bit. He patted the bed next to him and there was a little bit of space, so I carefully sat down there, looking Edward right in the eyes. "I'm fed up with people asking me how I am," he said. "I wanted to shift the attention to you. Besides, this must be quite a big thing for you too."

I began fiddling with my fingernails, feeling uncomfortable. "I guess I'm alright. I'm obviously glad you're awake now. But I'm mostly interested in how_ you_ are." My eyes travelled to his leg. "Are you in any pain?"

He shook his head and his hair flopped briefly onto his eyes. I started to lean forward to move it out of the way myself, but his hand caught mine. "No, I'm not in any pain. It seems as though Carlisle has dosed me up pretty high on painkillers." My eyes moved to his arm this time, where he was connected to the medication. Ugh. "Bella, you look sad."

I glanced up at him. "Do I?"

He didn't reply.

The truth was that I _was_ feeling a little blue. The excitement of what had happened earlier had worn off now, and I was just left with the sinking feeling of knowing that I wouldn't be seeing Edward for much longer. The conversation about what would happen when he woke up was still clear in my mind, replaying like a video. It also seemed as though something was wrong with Carlisle and I was worried about that too.

I eventually shrugged. "I'm not."

"Bella-"

"So, how does it feel being back in the real world?" I interrupted, fully aware that I was doing so. I sounded overly cheerful and Edward stared at me curiously for a little while, before sighing and answering my question.

"It's a bit weird." His eyes moved around the room. "But I'm sure I'll get used to it after a while."

I nodded along slowly.

"Bella, we really need to talk about... things."

His voice was horribly serious. "Things?" I repeated.

"Yeah. Things. But..." he paused, suddenly yawning widely. "Sorry, I just..." he trailed off, yawning once more. "I just feel really tired right now."

His words were slurring and I smiled at how he struggled to keep his eyes open. "That must be the medication kicking in. I'll, um, leave you to get some rest."

I began to stand up but, echoing his earlier actions, his grip momentarily tightened on my hand, keeping me in my place. "Bella? Please don't leave me when I wake up again."

His words caused some strange lightness in my stomach, but I managed to nod. "Of course I won't leave you. I'll be right here when your eyes open."

I just wished he would say the same thing to me.

* * *

Edward slept for a _very_ long time and I couldn't really blame him - I'd had a brief taste of the power of painkillers and my dosage was likely to have been a lot lower than Edward's, yet that completely knocked me for six and made me more or less completely out of it for a long period of time.

The hospital became dark all of a sudden and I glanced at the clock; it was just past 10pm. I stretched and moved around in the plastic chair outside his room, trying once more to get comfortable. I'd left him alone for some privacy and was sat on my own for a while; it was pleasant and allowed me to have some time to think in silence after everything that had happened so quickly. I had to process everything, even if it meant thinking some thoughts I'd wanted to avoid.

My thoughts were interrupted, however, when a hand holding a cup of coffee appearing in my vision in front of me, and I glanced up to see Carlisle standing there, wearing his doctor's white coat.

"Hello," he smiled. Despite this, it didn't reach his eyes and seemed a little forced. He wouldn't look right at me. "I thought you could use this."

"Oh, thank you very much," I said, sitting up and taking the drink in my hands. "I couldn't see any vending machines or anything around here. I could murder a chocolate bar."

"There's one just around the corner," he told me, taking a seat by my side. "If you're staying here all night with him then maybe you'll need it."

I nodded. "Thanks. I'll have a search later."

"How is he now, anyway? I haven't had time to check yet."

"He's sleeping. I'd be in there with him if he wasn't." I laughed half heartedly, a sound which echoed along the empty corridor. "You could have been to see Edward before coming here to me..."

I could feel Carlisle looking at me, for the side of my face prickled. It made my feel a tiny bit self conscious, but I sipped at my coffee, trying to ignore the sensation. He didn't respond to my earlier comment. "You two seemed really close," he observed after a few moments. "I thought you were just friends..."

"We are," I said, meeting his gaze. "We're just close, like you said." It was hard to ignore the pain in my chest when I admitted the truth aloud.

"Hmm. You wouldn't think that."

We sat in silence for a while and I saw him yawning out of the corner of my eye. "Are you staying here all night too?"

"It's my shift tonight," he gestured to his uniform and I slapped my forehead in stupidity. He smirked for half a second, but his face quickly turned serious again. "But I'll be checking on Edward a lot. I'm only working on this floor, anyway."

"Good. That's a relief."

The conversation trailed off from that moment, and I couldn't help thinking that it was all a little awkward. Normally, Carlisle and myself got on really well and although we seemed to be talking in a friendly way before, now everything just seemed tense. There was no way to explain why, it just _did, _and I really didn't like it. It had happened suddenly, too, and completely shook me up.

I noticed that his hands rested on his knees and he kept balling and unballing them into fists. That was enough to confirm my suspicions and I prepared to question him.

"Carlisle, is there something wrong?" I asked, turning towards him. He looked a little startled and didn't meet my gaze; he seemed to take a sudden interest in the sparkling clean corridor floor.

"What makes you think that?" he eventually replied, a little quietly.

"You just seem tense."

He blew out a long breath and then ran his fingers through his hair, making it stick up a little. "I'm sorry, Bella."

"Sorry for what?"

"I... I've been stupid. I've done something really, really, stupid. But I couldn't help it. I-"

I was starting to worry now. "Has something happened?"

"You could say that."

I exhaled in frustration. "I don't mean to sound moody, but I'm feeling quite tired right now and can't really deal with you skipping around the issue." I sounded harsher than I'd meant to and I quickly apologised. "Sorry, Carlisle, I-"

"It's not your fault, Bella. I just... I don't know how to say-" he trailed off, looking confused and irritated at himself. "This shouldn't have happened... it's all _wrong_. Seeing how you were with Edward has just made it all worse."

I didn't bother speaking, just waited for him to do so. A horrible feeling was once again in the pit of my stomach, but I didn't know what to expect at all.

"Are you staying off school tomorrow?"

His random question caught me off guard. "I... um, I guess so. Why?"

He shook his head. "You're seventeen, aren't you? Eighteen soon?" I nodded, feeling a little confused. No, scratch that, I was confused right from the very start of this weird conversation.

"See, it's really awful of me. You're ten years younger than me._ Ten_."

"Carlisle, just-"

"I've developed some feelings for you, Bella. I... I couldn't stop it, they've just grown over our time together and I've... I've become very fond of you." He swallowed, shaking his head. "I'm disgusted with myself for it and I really am sorry, but... I-I just had to say _something_. It's been eating away at me! I tried to avoid you for a while, but I just couldn't. It was impossible..."

He trailed off and my face was frozen in shock. My eyes were widen open and I stammered, "I... sorry?"

"I'm sure you heard me," he muttered, looking away. "I'm sorry, Bella, I didn't mean to burden this on you. I'll just... I'll have to try to do something about it. It's just startlingly clear that you feel towards Edward how I feel towards you."

Holy _crap_.

"Carlisle, I... please don't go, stay here a moment."

He turned around reluctantly. "Bella, looking at you makes it worse at the moment."

His words were harsh and really cut through me. I was still trying to process it all. Someone ten years older had feelings for _me_? What did he mean by _feelings_, anyway? Surely not...

"Carlisle, d-"

"Sorry, Bella," he said, and then he disappeared around the corner.

Well,_ that _was unexpected.

I stared after him for a long time before closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the wall. I hadn't done anything to encourage Carlisle, had I? I'd just taken a friendly interest, trying to help Edward as much as I could.

His words from earlier echoed around in my head._ You feel towards Edward how I feel towards you._

Edward meant a lot to me. No, _that _was an understatement...

Oh, for God's _sake_.

I stood up quickly and briefly checked in Edward's room, satsified that he seemed okay. Then, I rushed along the corridor to purchase a chocolate bar. It sure as hell was going to be a long night and the sugar would definitely make it feel a little bit more bearable.

* * *

_Edward was standing at the end of the corridor, holding out his arms to me._

_"Come here, Bella," he said seductively, and I didn't even think twice, just obeyed his command. I longed to feel the warmth of his body, to truly touch him for the first time without risking hurting him._

_I edged towards him slowly and just as I was a few metres away from him, Carlisle suddenly stood out from the door, staring at me sadly. _

_"Bella, please don't do this," he pleaded, his eyes almost shining. I stopped in my tracks. He turned towards Edward. "How could you do this?"_

_"Do what?" Edward replied casually. "It's not my fault that Bella's feelings lie elsewhere."_

_They started arguing visciously and I tried in vain to stop them. They'd just found out that they were related and I couldn't bear them fighting so soon and potentially ending their relationship._

_"Bella." _

_Edward's strong voice suddenly caught my attention. "Show us who you really want. Him, or me?"_

_I could feel them both staring at me and, as I edged again towards Edward, I apologised over and over to Carlisle. Despite this, his face showed pure sadness and he crumbled to the floor in front of my very eyes while Edward just smirked and pulled me close._

_"That's it, Bella, don't worry. You're with the right man."_

I woke up with a start the following morning and was surprised to find myself wrapped in a soft blanket. Sitting up and feeling shaken, I rubbed my eyes and checked the time. 7am.

It was a little disorientating for a few seconds, but I then remembered everything that had happened yesterday. A smile spread on my face when I recollected that Edward was awake and that I could speak to him again today.

That smile soon slipped when I remembered about Carlisle.

What would happen today? I couldn't exactly avoid him. I couldn't pretend that nothing had happened either and that dream had been absolutely horrible.

It was slightly eerie, but at that moment Carlisle walked right around the corner and hesitantly stopped in front of me. I was afraid to meet his eyes but when I looked up at him, he seemed strangely happier.

"Hi," I murmured. "Look, I'm-"

"Bella, I really do apologise about last night. I was stressed and very tired... please can we pretend it never happened?" he asked, sitting down beside me. "It was all very embarrassing, really."

I bit my lip. "But it's a bit difficult to forget. I-"

"Life isn't always easy and love definitely doesn't run smoothly." My eyes widened and I almost spluttered in front of him. "But I guess I'll just have to move on. Or try to, anyway. This type of thing has happened to me before, so I should be able to." He smiled wryly but my face was frozen in shock. _Love?_

Did that mean I loved Edward?

"Do you want some breakfast?" he asked. "There's a nice little place downstairs."

My mouth somehow managed to move and words came out. "What about Edward?"

Something flickered briefly in his eyes but he soon nodded, replacing this look. "Of course. Maybe I could bring you something up?"

"That would be fantastic. Thank you, Carlisle. I really am sorry," I added when he stood up.

"Don't apologise, it isn't your fault. You were very understanding about it all."

I couldn't quite manage a smile and he was soon starting to move around the corner. "Thank you for the blanket!" I called. His head popped around the wall and he grinned. "No problem."

I was then alone again and shook my head in disbelief. Maybe he'd thought everything through during the night time while he was working on his shift. His attitude was certainly very different today.

It was all very flattering, but even I now knew that my feelings were lying elsewhere and that they were slowly growing out of control. I didn't really want to cause any more trouble for Edward, but I couldn't keep everything contained for much longer.

Before I knew it, Carlisle was back again and handed me a few tasty looking slices of toast and a carton of orange juice. I smiled at him gratefully.

"I saw Edward on the way here," he told me. "He wants to see you."

"Oh, he's awake then?"

He nodded. "It was practically the first thing he said. Asking for you."

I didn't know what to say to that, but Carlisle didn't look too pained, so I just managed a small smile and placed my hand carefully on his. "Thank you."

I took a bite of the toast as I made my way to Edward's room. "Mmm, this is lovely."

Carlisle smiled at me. "It's a shame they don't give the same decent food to the patients."

"Oh," my face fell, "but that's what Edward's gonna have to eat this morning."

He smiled again, somewhat mischieviously and held up a bag in his hand. "I thought we could sneak him in some food."

I smirked at him. "That's against the rules, though."

"Yeah," he nodded. "But he's worth it."

That was _so_ true.


	18. When There Was News

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Eighteen - When There Was News_

"Morning Edward," I smiled. "We've got some breakfast for you."

He was already sat upright in his bed and glanced over at me as I walked into the room. "What do you mean _we_?" he asked, half smirking. "Have you got a new imaginary friend?"

I whipped around, expecting to see Carlisle behind me, but there was nobody. He'd obviously disappeared off somewhere without my knowledge, but I thought that he would have _wanted_ to see Edward again to check up on him... Maybe he was giving us some time alone or something along those lines, and I considered this while Edward took the bag of food gently from my hands.

"Carlisle _was_ with me," I told him. "He snuck this up for you from the café below."

"That was nice of him," he commented while I took my usual seat by his side. "How are you anyway? Did you spend the night here?"

"Edward, you should really stop asking me how I am. _You're_ the one who's in hospital." Despite saying this, I was secretly flattered that he was concerned about me and I experienced a warm glow somewhere deep in my chest every time.

"Well, I'd just like to know," he replied, taking out a couple of tasty-looking biscuits. He met my eyes and chuckled. "Want one?"

I gestured towards the other bag in my hand. "I've got my own."

"Gee, Carlisle's such a rebel."

I snorted half heartedly.

"Oh, and you didn't answer my question," he added, raising his eyebrows. When he did so, I couldn't help noticing that his hair was all messy and dishevelled. Maybe he'd been tossing and turning all night. It certainly suited him, though.

"Uh, I'm fine, thank you," I mumbled, trying to focus my attention. "Although my neck's a bit sore. Are you any better?"

"I feel great, actually," he told me, smiling widely. "Maybe I'll be out soon."

The thought made my body turn cold and my hand froze half way in the air as I was about to take a bite out of my food. Where would he go? Back to his house where I'd never see him again? Who would look after him?

"Bella? Are you alright?"

I lowered my arm, forcing a smile. "Yeah. Great."

"Bella, what are you scared of?"

"Scared? I'm not scared."

"You are," he insisted. "I can see the fear in your eyes."

He really was scarily observant. "Well, y'know, this whole hospital thing has been quite stressful," I shrugged, trying to avoid the subject. "Can you really blame me?"

"But I'm fine now," he said slowly. "The fear should have gone by now."

"The future's unpredictable," I countered. "Anything could happen."

He didn't have a reply for that and my words seemed to hang around in the air like a bad smell. "Sorry, I just want to go to the toilet a second," I suddenly said, needing a break away from him; it was all really intense. "Besides, I probably look a mess."

He scoffed but didn't say anything and, when I reached the door, I said, "Don't you go anywhere."

"As if," he teased. "I can't exactly hobble away. You'd catch me up easily."

"True," I smiled, heading out and down the corridor.

* * *

I stood in front of the mirror, truly taking in my reflection for the first time in a while. Maybe Edward was right; I did look a little worried, but that was mostly fear of the unknown. I just wished that I had a better idea of what might happen.

Looking closer, my skin was paler than usual and even_ I_ could see that I was tired.

The words of my father suddenly echoed in my head. _Quit stressing, Bells. There's always someone out there worse off than you._

I never really knew if that was a selfish way to think, but it did provide me with a bit of comfort. Because of this, I freshened up my eyes with some cold water and took a few deep breaths.

I guessed that I just had to enjoy our time together while it lasted and, with this in mind, I headed out the bathroom and back upstairs.

* * *

I sat with Edward during the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon, knowing that I would be leaving later in the evening to visit Charlie. We talked together and laughed a lot, and it was nice to forget, at times, what might happen in the future. It was almost normal, and there weren't any more really tense moments, something that I was eternally grateful for.

"Where's that friend of yours? The blonde one," he frowned suddenly. For some reason, I started panicking at his random question. _Gah, this wasn't the time for jealousy... _"Why do you ask?" I managed through slightly ground teeth.

"Well I just would have expected her to be curious about where you are. You haven't been at school for a while now."

I sighed. "My phone's been taken, as you saw, so maybe she's been texting me. Either that or she's been busy with Emmett."

"That's her boyfriend, isn't it?"

"Yup."

"The one who punched the living daylights out of that other guy?"

I nodded stiffly. "That's the one."

"Hmm. He must be really protective of her." He paused and I could feel him looking at me. "Would you want somebody to be like that with you?"

My skin suddenly prickled. _No, he's not suggesting anything Bella, don't be ridiculous. _"Um... maybe. It'd be nice to know that somebody cared for me so much that they'd be willing to protect me at any cost." That all came out in a garbled rush and I took a breath, before adding, "Although I don't approve of violence."

I saw him briefly grinning out of the corner of my eye. "I..." He started and then trailed off, but I didn't push him to finish. Eventually, he said, "I care about you, Bella."

As usual, my heart had a stupid reaction to his words and I felt hot all of a sudden. "Thank you," I murmured quietly.

A strange sound came from him, as though he'd been trying to say something else and had stopped himself. _Don't get your hopes up..._

We were silent for a long time and everything became very tense, to my dismay; I hated it when that happened.

I was sat on the small space on the bed and suddenly felt his hand cover mine. My body automatically jumped in surprise but I soon grew accustomed to the feeling of his soft skin against mine. It was stupid, but I didn't have the courage to meet his eyes, even though I loved their colour so much.

"Bella?"

"Mmm?"

"Please look at me."

My instincts told me not to, knowing that I would probably have an embarrassing reaction. Whenever I tended to look directly at Edward, I seemed to lose the ability to think clearly or act normally. In fact, I usually ended up making a fool of myself.

Despite this, the draw of his eyes was like that of a glass of vodka to an alcholic. The comparison seemed ironic to me, considering my father, but it was the only thing I could really think of.

I knew I shouldn't, but I did. I just looked at him and found myself getting lost again.

Gee, I sounded like the narrator of a bad romance novel.

We met each other's eyes for a long time. "Bella," he eventually said, trailing off again.

"You seem to like saying my name," I teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere. His lips twitched momentarily and he murmured something that sounded suspiciously like 'you don't know the half of it.' I'd probably misheard though. No, I'd _definitely _misheard him.

He took in a long breath, as though preparing to say something else, but there was a sudden light knock on the door and his mouth closed shut in what looked a mixture of relief and frustration. I glanced in the direction of the noise and waited to see whoever the person was outside; whoever it was had certainly saved us from a _very _awkward moment._ Another _awkward moment.

It wasn't really surprising that it was Carlisle and he walked slowly over to Edward's other side, smiling at him as always. He opened his mouth to speak but, just as he did so, Edward held up a hand. "Before you ask, I'm fine, thank you."

Carlisle laughed. "Psychic now? Or are we all just becoming very predictable?"

"I'll go for the second option," Edward joked.

He remained quiet for a brief moment, before shifting his weight between his feet somewhat nervously. "Edward, I'm not going to dodge around the subject here. I've... I've got an offer for you."

My heart immediately began pounding harder.

"You can refuse if you want to, like I said it's just an offer. I..." he hesitated. "I know you live in your mother and father's old house and that you were on your own, so I got thinking... my house is quite big. Too big really for just the one person..."

He trailed off and I _hoped_ that what I thought he was suggesting was correct.

"So I was, um, I was wondering if you'd like to live with me?" He paused and was greeted by silence. As a result, he started talking speedily. "You can trust me, obviously, but I just thought I'd offer because you would have some company and maybe it would get you some more money... not that you're poor or anything. I-" He trailed off again before sighing heavily and shaking his head. "I'd never make a very successful salesman."

I glanced at Edward, whose eyes were wide. _Please please_ please_ say yes._

"Carlisle... that's a lot to offer," he murmured quietly. "I mean... I- are you sure?"

A wide smile spead across his uncle's face. "Of course. You _are_ family, after all. And," he met my eyes, "you'll be closer to Bella."

The heat automatically travelled to my cheeks and I looked down at my feet, shuffling them awkwardly. This must be so difficult for Carlisle considering his feelings, yet he was being really selfless and helpful once again. My respect for him grew even more in that moment - why couldn't there be more people like him?

"Are you absolutely sure now?" Edward asked. "I'd obviously pay some rent and-"

"No, no, don't worry about that. I want to do it, Edward."

They looked at each other for a long time before both smiling widely. "Thank you, uncle."

Carlisle walked over and gently wrapped his arms around Edward. Everything suddenly seemed a little bit more positive; Edward was no longer alone, Carlisle had some company, Edward was also close to where I lived...

He hadn't wanted to leave. Did that possibly mean anything?

Pfft no, of course it didn't. _Quit being so selfish._

"I'll come back in and speak to you again later," Carlisle said, taking me out of my thoughts. He headed towards the door and, after another thank you from Edward, he disappeared off down the corridor to save some more lives with a new spring in his step.

After a second or two, Edward grinned widely. "What fantastic news!"

His enthusiasm was contagious and I soon found myself smiling along with him. "It really is great."

"At least we can keep in touch now," he said quietly, looking down at his lap. I wanted to do _much _more than just keep in touch, but I couldn't always get what I wanted. That's a fact that I had to learn a _long _time ago.

Feeling anxious, I glanced at my watch.

"Have you got to go soon?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, in an hour or so," I told him.

"How is your father?"

It was nice to see someone taking a genuine interest in Charlie. People were only ever interested to get gossip about the local alcoholic, just so that they could have _something_ to talk about. Things were usually boring and slow in a little town like Forks and this piece of information had spread like a wild fire.

"He's doing great. I'm hoping there'll be some more news later."

He smiled, a simple but meaningful action.

"Mr Cullen?"

We both jumped in surprise and turned around to see two police officers holding out their ID cards in the doorway. I recognised one as DI Esme Adams and relaxed a little at the familiar face.

"I'm glad to see you're awake," she said, speaking in a soft but confident voice. She met my eyes. "We have some news for you both."

Edward sat up eagerly and I felt his hand grip mine.

"We believe we may have found the people who hit you over and stole your belongings."

I sucked in a shocked breath, feeling the excitement rising. "One of them, Jacob Black, fits the description you gave us, Miss Swan, and the other suspect was in his company when we found him. It's best not to get too optimistic at the present moment, though. Mr Cullen, you'll have to confirm a few details once you're out of hospital, and we may need you both to identify the suspects." She turned towards me. "You may also need some protection, Miss Swan, as you know. Mr Black's girlfriend is unlikely to be too pleased about this."

"Did you get the necklaces?" Edward asked.

"We retrieved one from the suspect's girlfriend and the other was in the suspect's possession." She smiled. "Like I said, you'll have to identify them in the next few days."

"Thank you so much!" he gushed. "This is brilliant..." He glanced towards me. "I _never_ expected this to happen."

"You have to thank Miss Swan; she was responsible for most of the conclusive evidence," DI Adams said, smiling warmly at me. "Anyway, we'll be in contact in a few days' time. I wish you well, Mr Cullen. Miss Swan."

"Thank you," we both uttered at the same time as they headed back out of the doors.

An excited squeal escaped my lips and I instinctively reached to hug Edward tightly, once again relishing in the feel of him being so close to me. _It could be one of the last times you do this... _My arms gave way underneath me and I carefully leaned against his chest, not wanting to let go.

"Is this too tight?" I mumbled against him.

"Uh?" was his muffled reply.

I leant back a bit, suddenly very aware that I was incredibly close to his face. _And his lips. _I was beginning to lose myself again in those wonderful green eyes. They looked so fantastic up close... they had pigments of hazel as well and-

Realising I was oggling, I laughed breathily. "I, um... I was wondering if my hug was t-too tight."

He just looked at me and shook his head gently. This didn't mean much to me, as I was too preoccupied with the fact that our noses were nearly touching.

If this was the only moment we were gonna get, I might as well go for it... if it all goes wrong then... then...

Before I could think anymore, I just followed my instincts. The consequences didn't matter in the moment that I leant forward to meet Edward's lips with mine. My mind was blank apart from the fact that I was kissing him, something that I'd longed to do for _so_ long.

He was frozen underneath me so I couldn't really enjoy it and, as a result, I started to panic, completely worried that I might have done the wrong thing; it could have completely ruined _everything_. He'd be completely different around me from now on and-

I pulled back suddenly and was too scared to even look at him. Maybe I could blame it as a spur-of-the-moment thing... but the threat of tears gave away that it had meant _so_ much more than that.

Gathering all my courage, I raised my eyes to his and was genuinely shocked at what I saw.


	19. When Everything Changed

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Nineteen - When Everything Changed_

Edward's eyes were wide open with shock, something that probably mirrored the expression on my own face. I couldn't _believe _that had just happened, mainly because it was so out of my normal character. I was usually very tentative about things, never making spontaneous decisions or acting recklessly.

I tried very hard not to regret what I'd done; at least it had actually happened now... even if he hated me, I'd kissed him. Surely that meant something?

It was a struggle to convince myself.

From what I could see of him, though, he actually looked as though he was leaning closer towards me, maybe anticipating more...

_No, no. You're imagining things now... You're most_ definitely_ imagining things. Wishful thinking to the extreme._

He swallowed heavily and shook his head. "Bella..." His voice was rough and I waited in anxiety for what he would say next.

"That... that came out of nowhere," he continued, clearing his throat halfway through. _Brand new understatement of the century._

"I'm sorry," I sighed, shaking my own head. "I... just... the news was a bit exciting and I don't know what came over me... I-"

"No, Bella," he interrupted, holding up a hand. "I..." He rolled his eyes. "God, I sound like an idiot. What I'm trying to say is... is that I'd like you to do it again."

The sound of my heart hammering was audible even to me and I wondered if he could hear it too. "S-sorry?" I stammered. "What do you m-mean?"

A small and oddly timid smile crept onto his face. "I meant that I'd like you to kiss me again."

I thought that maybe I was hearing things, but I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. Without another moment's hesitation, I leant slowly forwards and once again pressed my lips carefully against his, this time feeling a whole new sensation as he kissed forcibly back.

I was lost in a daze, but a strange heat seemed to move from my lips through to my chest and then in my stomach. I'd never really kissed anybody before and Edward seemed to be an expert. He made emotions rise in me that I hadn't even known existed before and I found myself wanting more.

He tasted amazing too.

I ran my hands through his hair - it was a little messy and unkempt because of the environment, but it was still long and brilliant to feel my fingers running along. His hand was pressed gently to the back of my own head, forcing me closer to him.

Oh no... was this another of those dreams? Was I still asleep and in that hospital chair? It'd be pretty heartbreaking if that was the case.

I removed my hand reluctantly from his hair and pinched my arm, yelping in the process at the sharp pain. Edward pulled back, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sounding a little breathless.

"Oh... sorry," I stuttered, embarrassed by my body's reaction. "I... um, I was just pinching myself."

He frowned. "Why?"

"This is gonna sound lame."

He seemed to be losing the battle to fight a smile because the corners of his lips twitched. "Why?"

"I was checking this wasn't a dream," I mumbled quickly, making him laugh. "Yes, _thank you_," I sighed. "As if I don't feel stupid enough already."

He just smiled.

I chewed on my lip anxiously. "You didn't just do that out of pity, did you? Kiss me, I mean."

"Bella, that's ridiculous."

"Is it?" I countered. "I can't really be sure." I met his eyes, then glanced at my hands. "Maybe I'm being paranoid."

"Believe me when I say this, that _really_ was something I've wanted to do for a long time." He paused, looking as though he was wondering whether he'd said the right or wrong thing. "I didn't mean to make that sound like an obsession or anything. It's just I... We..." He let out a long sigh. "I'm going to stop talking now."

To my surprise, I laughed. "Okay. So it really happened then, and it wasn't out of pity?"

"Yes and yes," he replied, smiling crookedly at me.

I relaxed back onto the chair and he suddenly shifted over so that he was on the edge of the bed. He patted the empty space. "Lie down here if you like. It'd be easier to talk."

"Are you sure? I don't want to mess up your wires or anything."

"Just be careful," he said and I slowly placed myself beside him, lying down on the bed. "Hmm, this is quite comfy," I commented, wiggling around and turning to face him.

"I could get used to this," he smiled, but his eyes quickly widened. "Not that I was _implying _that we would be lying together like this in the future... Uh, not that I wouldn't _want_ to, I just..." He shook his head. "Gee, I'm really making an idiot out of myself this afternoon."

I couldn't help laughing again - to me it was actually quite adorable seeing him so flustered.

We were silent for a brief moment, before Edward suddenly sighed. "This is such a weight off my mind."

I met his eyes again, waiting for an explanation.

"Well, I've just been thinking about it for a while, that's all," he shrugged, clearly trying to sound nonchalant and dismissive about it all. "I was a bit worried about what would happen when I came out of hospital, and if we'd keep in touch or not, but Carlisle seems to have sorted that out for us."

"That's quite spooky," I said quietly. "'Cause... well, I was kind of worrying about the exact same thing too. That's probably why I looked sad earlier, as you commented."

He shook his head and smiled wryly. "It would have been so much easier if we'd both just been more clear with each other."

"But we couldn't, really," I countered. "It's a difficult situation. I was scared that, if you didn't feel the same, then maybe our friendship would be over."

"When you say feel, what do you mean by that?" He seemed to be trying not to smirk again.

"That's a secret."

"Will I ever find out _how_ you feel?" he said breathily, edging closer towards me. A smile danced on his lips and his green eyes seemed to twinkle.

"Well, there may be some ways that you can get me to answer," I teased.

"And how could I do that?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Find out for yourself."

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling around the edges. "Would this help?" He leaned closer and gently placed his lips on mine, once again igniting some wild emotions and feelings deep inside of me. My lips tingled under his and, as he slowly trailed his fingers up my arms, he seemed to leave a trail of goosebumps behind, making me shiver.

After a few wonderful moments, he pulled away and looked at me innocently like a little child, waiting for my answer.

"Y-Yes," I stammered, taking a deep breath to control myself. "That would probably help."

He laughed, kissing me quickly once more. "I'm so glad I met you, Bella. It sounds really pathetic, but it's true."

"Yes," I smiled, feeling trapped inside some strange, blissful bubble. "Thank you for haunting me."

"I wouldn't have said it was _haunting_," he replied, frowning a little. "More like..."

"Stalking?" I suggested, much to his horror. "Joking! I'm joking. And, I know. I'm glad I met you too."

"Oh, sorry to interupt... I, er, I did knock..."

We both jumped a mile after hearing a new voice and I sat up, seeing Carlisle standing there a little awkwardly in the doorway. I instantly felt awful; considering what he'd told me just yesterday, this must have looked like I was rubbing salt into his wounds.

"Sorry, Carlisle... I-"

He cut me off. "Don't worry, Bella. It's fine."

I could feel Edward looking at me, almost as though he suspected something was going on, but I hoped he'd just let it go. I wasn't going to tell him about it, mainly because Carlisle probably didn't want that to happen, and it would just make things worse. I personally wanted Edward and Carlisle to have a good relationship, and it had only just started. It couldn't be destroyed by something silly.

"So, feeling any better now?"

Carlisle's question made Edward snap out of his trance and he smiled. "If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked that..."

"I know it's a little irritating, but I'm just concerned. It's my job," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess," Edward said softly. "I feel great, actually." He met my eyes and I could practically see the question in them, wondering if we should tell him. I shook my head, knowing it would cause a few problems, but he seemed to understand and nodded.

"Do you know when I'll be getting out of here?" he asked, clearly wanting to steer away from the other topic.

"Soon, I should think. I'll have a definite date for you in a few days. Sorry, I know it's frustrating, but there are rules. It's for your own safety."

"I understand," he said quietly.

"I couldn't help noticing earlier that two women visited you," Carlisle continued, taking a seat beside us. "Sorry, tell me to mind my own business if you like, but I asked DI Adams about what was happening and they said something about an investigation?"

"Yeah," Edward replied. "It was about the people who hit me over and caused all this. I'm not sure if Bella told you, but they stole some belongings from me which I really would like back. The police think they've arrested the right people now and that's why they were here."

His eyes widened. "I never realised it was that serious." He remained silent for a few moments, clearly thinking things through. "Well, at least they've caught them."

I nodded. "We might have to identify them whenever Edward comes out of hospital."

Carlisle seemed a little distracted as he nodded at what I'd said.

"DI Adams has been very helpful, though," I murmured, trying to keep the conversation going. "She's a nice lady."

Carlisle hummed in agreement and I tried to identify the sudden strange expression on his face.

"Anyway," I said after a moment, checking my watch, "I'd better go and see my Dad now, so I'll be back later, okay?"

They both smiled at me. "I hope he's well, Bella," Edward said.

"Thanks. Bye, Carlisle."

"Give him my best wishes."

I slipped on my coat and headed towards the door, waving to them both. When I did so, though, Edward gave me a funny look and I left with the anxious feeling that he might be having an important conversation with Carlisle...

* * *

About half an hour later, I walked through the doors and into the familiar rehabilitation centre - it was the same as ever, but this time I felt different. Normally it was a sad experience, but this time it all felt incredibly positive, and I stepped into the room to meet my father with a new found confidence.

As soon as he met my eyes, I knew he was better. A large smile spread on his face and he held out his arms, waiting for me to hug him. I hurried over and did so, cherishing the feel of him against me. It had felt like _such _a long time since I'd last seen him, probably because so much had happened.

But he looked _so _well. Almost normal, like he had been before.

"Dad, you look great," I smiled, sitting down beside him. A shy smile crept onto his own face and he looked down at his fingers.

"I feel great." I thought of Edward's earlier words and how they seemed to echo each other. My thoughts naturally wandered to whether they'd like each other... "And I've got some really great news," he beamed, regaining my attention. I waited nervously. "They've said I can come out next week!"

It was actually unbelievable considering the amount of good news I'd had today. This time yesterday, everything seemed a little doomed. Well, perhaps that was a _tiny_ bit over the top, but that was genuinely how I felt.

Now, everything seemed almost perfect. I say almost; I still had the tiny fear of what Carlisle and Edward were doing.

Surprisingly, I brushed my fingers across my cheek in an unconscious gesture and felt something wet there; after a moment of confusion, I found that I was actually crying.

"Oh, Bells," Dad said, holding me in his arms again. I leant my chin on his shoulder, laughing at myself. It was strangely comforting feeling the soft fabric of his jumper.

"Sorry," I sniffed. "I'm just so h-happy right now and I'm a right wimp."

He pulled away, wiping at my tears with his fingers. "Everything is gonna be good from now on, Bells. I'm gonna do you proud."

I nodded, unable to speak very clearly. "I know you will, Dad. I know you will."


	20. When He Went Home

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Twenty - When He Went Home_

_**One week later**_

"Can you get up there alright?"

Carlisle was helping Edward up the stairs to their new house together, and it was all looking a little dangerous. Edward was a bit rusty on the crutches, regularly needing help to use them properly, and I had a horrible mental image of them both falling to the bottom in a painful heap.

"We're nearly there now, Bella," Carlisle replied, a little breathlessly. "Careful."

They eventually made it to the top after a few more agonising moments and I exhaled a breath of relief. I jogged up behind them, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder.

The week had been a slow one, but strangely enjoyable at the same time. Edward was clearly frustrated at being stuck in the hospital room all the time, but he seemed content enough talking to me. Whenever we were alone, we spent some more time kissing and that was _certainly_ an experience. Despite this, I still felt on edge every time, fearing that a certain somebody would walk in at any moment.

Speaking of which, we hadn't told Carlisle about our relationship just yet, mostly because I was wary about hurting his feelings. I suspected that he had an inkling about us, though, because he actually kept willingly giving Edward and myself time alone. Not that I was complaining about that, but I just didn't know how to tell him, how he would react...

"Home sweet home."

Carlisle's voice brought me out of my thoughts and I saw him placing down Edward's suitcases, standing there in front of us somewhat proudly. Edward was looking around in awe, once again playing the acting card. He obviously had to pretend that this was his first time here, and he certainly looked impressed. Maybe that was a new career path for him.

"This is... _wow_, it's like a mansion of some kind," he gushed. "Are you really sure now? I-"

"Edward, we've been through this before," Carlisle interrupted. "I am one hundred percent absolutely positively _positive_."

He grinned. "Do you mind if I have a look around?"

"Feel free," he smiled. "Your room is up the stairs and to the left... do you need some help up there?"

"I think I'll hobble around the lower floor first. I won't be long."

He met my eyes and gave me a strangely suggestive look, before disappearing slowly through a door.

It might have just been me, but everything seemed to become very awkward after that moment. The silence around us seemed to last for too long and I nervously studied my shoes.

"Do you want a coffee, Bella?"

Carlisle surprised me by suddenly sounding pretty upbeat and I nodded towards him. "Uh, thanks. I guess you know me well."

"I certainly do. Come through with me, if you like. I don't believe you've seen the kitchen yet."

"Oh, okay," I replied, following him through into the room. It was magnificent, as expected, with marble worktops and shiny cupboard doors, along with a beautifully tiled floor. There were bowls of fruit everywhere and all sorts of cooking equipment. I was waiting for the place to start sparkling or something.

"This is lovely," I said while he filled the kettle.

"Thank you. I spend most of my time in here, so I've tried to make it look decent."

"Are you a keen cooker, then?"

He nodded and leant against the counter to face me. "It's one of my many hobbies."

"Edward's lucky, then," I grinned. "He'll be getting good food everyday."

Carlisle smiled. "You can come over and sample my pièce de résistance with him sometime, if you like."

"Oooh, sounds fantastic."

There was a small pause and I could feel him looking in my direction. "Bella, please be honest with me here." He met my eyes and I suddenly felt very nervous. "Are you and Edward together now? As a couple?"

I was the one to pause this time, thinking of what would be safe to say. "What makes you think that?"

He raised his eyebrows. "I think it would be pretty clear to anyone who sees you both together, even somebody with an IQ lower than 50, if that's even possible."

My eyes travelled to the floor out of guilt. "I'm sorry, Carlisle, we tried to keep it a secret... I... I didn't want to hurt you or anything. We-"

"Bella, don't apologise. I'm happy for the pair of you, I really am." His words seemed genuine and meaningful, but the guilt still gnawed away at my insides. He gave me a small smile and I couldn't really see if he truly meant it. "It really is fine."

I couldn't help looking at him sceptically, not really believing his words. If _I_ was in his position, I wouldn't be able to accept seeing something like this happening. I'd be green with jealousy and feel sick.

Then again, Carlisle was a different person, always putting others first and being inhumanely compassionate.

"Bella, please don't feel bad about this," he insisted. "Something like this has happened to me before and I learned to recover and get over it. It was in high school, so I naturally thought it was the end of the world, but I was actually happy sometime afterwards and, well, it's obviously happened again, but I know I'll get over it this time. It looks like I'm just not particularly lucky in love yet." He paused, smiling genuinely at me. "Besides, DI Adams was quite friendly..."

He had a strange glint in his eyes and I raised an eyebrow at him. Was he suggesting something there?

"Here's your coffee, anyway," he said, changing the subject at lightning speed. "Edward's probably finished by now." He placed a hand gently on my shoulder. "Please don't feel guilty anymore, though. Be happy with Edward, make the most of it. You've been really great in this situation, and I really respect you for that."

We met each other's eyes again and smiled. "Thanks, Carlisle."

"No, thank _you_, Bella."

After sharing another look, we walked back into the lounge and saw Edward just making his way back through after exploring the house. He looked a little awe-struck and I smirked to myself.

"I can't believe this place! My mind's well and truly boggled by just this floor... imagine going upstairs!"

"Bella was pretty much the same when she first visited," Carlisle chuckled. "Slightly less hysterical, though."

I laughed. "Did you want anything to drink, anyway? Just thought I'd check."

"I'm alright at the moment, thanks," he replied. "Actually, would you mind if I visited my room? I don't mean to sound pushy, I'm very grateful as you know, I'd just like to settle in a bit."

Carlisle nodded, full of understanding as always. "Of course. Bella can help you upstairs and I'll carry the suitcases and boxes after you both."

"Sounds like a plan," I smiled.

We eventually made it up the stairs without _too_ much trouble and I untangled myself from underneath Edward's arms as he fumbled around with his crutches once more. "It would have been easier with a wheelchair," he muttered under his breath to me.

"It's that room, there," Carlisle told us, pointing to a door on the left. I walked over and opened it, and we all filed in, looking around in excitement.

It was another open room, with large windows on two of the cream walls which let daylight filter through and lighten up the place. There was a bed towards the back wall, made neatly with pale blue covers and fluffed pillows. Along with this, there was a bedside table ready with a lamp, a large wardrobe, a desk, a bookshelf, a dark blue rug and an empty CD case.

"I got you that because I heard about your interest in music," Carlisle suddenly said, aware of the silence.

"It's amazing," Edward sighed. "So much bigger than my other room." He turned to face his uncle. "Thank you so much."

"It really is no problem. Anyway, I'll let you unpack and settle in, as you said. See you both later."

He disappeared swiftly, and Edward and myself just stood there for a while, staring in amazement. Through the windows was lots of greenery, mainly because the house was surrounded by trees of all kinds. I could hear birds in the trees and it felt like we were right in the middle of some nature reserve.

"I'll help you unpack some of your things if you like," I said after a while, breaking the calm silence.

"Okay," he smiled.

He started sorting through his clothes, while I focused on his other belongings, which consisted mostly of CDs, books and various strange novelty items.

While I stacked the CD case, I couldn't help noticing that we had a very similar musical taste, despite his large collection of classical piano music. It was a bit eerie but interesting to look through, and I tried to place the CDs in some kind of order for him. I then moved onto his books.

"Do you want these ordered in any particular way?"

He turned around to face me. "No, no, any way will do, thanks."

I proceeded to fill up the bookcase, something which didn't take too much effort, mainly because he had _so_ many books. Because of this, my arms started to ache half way through and I paused, taking another look out the window.

"I read a lot," he told me suddenly, and I was surprised that he was standing so close behind me. He rested his chin on my shoulder and, in turn, I leaned my head on his. "It was something I did to escape."

"I know the feeling," I murmured.

About half an hour later, the room seemed a bit more personal, with items scattered across the desks and posters decorating the walls. It looked wonderful and I felt the urge to spend a lot more time in here, and not just because it would be with Edward.

"I need a rest," he muttered, blowing out a breath and easing himself down onto the bed. "Care to join me?"

I smirked, quickly lying beside him. We both sat there quietly for a little while, enjoying the feeling of the fresh breeze on our heated faces. "Does it feel like home, now?" I asked curiously. His eyes moved over towards mine.

"Not quite yet, but in a few days I'm sure it will."

I smiled. "You were right in the hospital, saying we'd be lying down together like this more often." My eyes closed in a wince as soon as I'd said that, knowing it sounded wrong. I peeked through my left eye just to check Edward's reaction and he was laughing, to my relief.

"I guess I was," he replied breathily. He then leaned over to brush some hair out of my eyes and followed this by placing another gentle kiss on my lips.

"I never thought I'd end up in this situation a few months ago," he said reflectively. "My luck has most definitely turned around."

"Same here."

I listened to the sound of his breathing, thinking to myself that just a week or so ago I still wasn't sure whether he'd be alive or not at the end of our experience.

We didn't speak for a while after that. Instead, we just spent a lovely time relaxing together in his room, just lying there and losing ourself in our thoughts. That didn't last too long though, because Edward suddenly shot upright, shaking his head in what looked like disbelief.

"I can't_ believe _I forgot!"

Edward reached for my hand and gently pulled me up and down the stairs - I had to steady him a few times - and I frowned in confusion the whole way.

"Edward, what are you doing?"

"You'll see," he smiled.

We headed down towards the storage room and it soon clicked in my head. _Of course_. He slowly opened the door and the piano was there waiting for us, looking as grand and romantic as ever.

It was a little dusty and while Edward took a seat, I quickly searched around for something to clean it over with. He was clearly curious about what I was doing and, once I explained to him, he just laughed.

"It doesn't really matter to me," he said, trailing his fingers gently over the keys to produce a soft and haunting sound.

"But it's all disgusting," I replied. "Just let me sweep over the keys and then I can relax. Think of all the dust mites," I added with a shudder.

He chuckled and let me do so. I had to lean over him to reach the keys on the right hand side and he took this opportunity to kiss my neck, nearly making me collapse onto him during the process. A few high pitched squeals escaped my lips and I eventually gave up, feeling flushed and hot in the face.

After calming down, I looked over at him and suddenly realised how important this moment was for him. He loved playing this instrument; it was his passion and he'd been forced to stop this for a time which he couldn't control. It must have been incredibly frustrating.

Acting on instinct, I placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned to glance at me.

"I can't wait to hear you play," I said quietly, making a small and strangely shy smile creep onto his face.

He quickly flexed his arms in front of him and cracked a few of his fingers.

"Ew," I grimaced. "I thought you hated people doing that..."

"I hated you cracking your _shoulders_, not your fingers," he countered cleverly and I nudged him playfully.

After one more stretch, he placed his fingers onto the keys readily. "This is something I thought up for you, Bella. I could hear it in my head during our time together and now I want you to hear it out loud."

He began playing and the room filled with such a wonderful and soft melody that I had to automatically close my eyes to savour it. He was so talented and played in such a way that I became lost, completely forgetting at one point where we were or any of the troubles that were previously bothering me. In fact, I imagined us back in the meadow from my dream, lying underneath the sizzling sun in complete peace.

"Bella?"

I opened my eyes in surprise; he was finished. "Gosh, that was beautiful, Edward."

He smiled. "That's why I called the piece _Bella. _Is that cheesy?"

I couldn't help blushing and didn't answer his question. "Either that or you couldn't think of anything else. Can you please play something else?"

And he did so, again producing such lovely sounds that it was impossible to not be moved.

"I could certainly get used to hearing this."

He leaned over and tenderly kissed my lips. On doing so, I was filled with the brilliant thought that this could be happening several times more in my future, and I was overwhelmed by an incredible high.

He brought me such happiness and, in that moment, I was almost completely sure that I loved him.


	21. When He Met Her Father

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Twenty One - When He Met Her Father_

"Argh! Holey moley, Edward!"

I shot upright suddenly from the piano after glancing at my watch. He looked up at me in alarm, clearly surprised by my somewhat random outburst, and promptly stood up, placing his hands on my shoulders in what I assumed was meant to be a calming gesture; it wasn't really working. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm late," I told him with a groan. "I was supposed to meet Charlie ten minutes ago... he's getting out of the rehab centre today and it's really not a good time to be late! Gah!" I absolutely hated being unpunctual; it gave me a horrible light feeling at the bottom of my stomach.

"Oh," he said, frowning a little.

"Yeah," I mumbled distractedly, "we must have lost track of time."

"I'll take full responsibility for that."

After a few more moments of hurrying around like some kind of mad woman, I finally found everything I needed, had said goodbye to Carlisle, and was making my way out to the truck with Edward.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asked once again, having offered several times before.

I chewed on my lip nervously, feeling the sting of my teeth causing some blood to be drawn. "Um... perhaps it's best if we left it for a few days. He needs to get back to the normal environment, and something like meeting my boyfriend might tip him over the edge. Sorry."

To my surprise, he was smiling. "'My boyfriend," he repeated, almost as though he was trying the taste on his tongue. "I like the sound of that."

I smiled, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. "I'll ring you tomorrow or something."

"And I will look forward to it. Good luck, I hope he's alright."

"Thank you."

After I'd climbed into my truck and driven off, I suddenly had a very strong feeling that hit me. _Charlie was coming home_.

It had been so long that I'd just grown accustomed to being alone in such a big house. It would be a change for sure, but most _definitely_ a good one. Now, he would live a healthier and better life without alcohol, and maybe he'd settle down and find a new partner.

Of course it'd be hard, what with his past that _everybody_ seemed to know about, but maybe he could really find some happiness. He'd prove them wrong, showing what he was really like.

The future could potentially be just like the good times, when everybody was happy. Before Mom caused all that pain and lead Dad towards alcohol.

Because of these thoughts, I arrived at the place with a smile on my face. It might have been selfish of me to think so, but I was now going to be surrounded by people very close to me; Charlie, Edward, Carlisle... it was_ completely_ different to before and it gave me something to be incredibly happy about.

I walked inside with a new spring in my step and seeing Charlie waiting there for me was one of those moments I'd never ever forget.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as I ran over to him and we hugged each other tightly. We always did so, but this time was a little different; he'd be home afterwards - I wouldn't have to wait a whole week to see him again. In fact, I never wanted to let go of him, I just wanted to savour the moment.

He seemed to be thinking similarly, because he mumbled, "Finally, I can go home," into my shoulder.

I smiled widely, glad that I hadn't started crying. _Yet. _Pulling away to face him, I said, "Let's not waste anymore time here. We're most definitely done with this place."

"Definitely," he agreed. "I'll never be coming back here again."

And so we left, stepping outside into the fresh air and away from the place that had saved my father, but brought so much pain at the same time.

* * *

"Goodness," Dad breathed, standing still on the spot and looking around the lounge, apparently in a daze. "It hasn't changed one bit. In fact, it's just as I pictured it back in my room." He paused, taking a few more glances. "And," he added in a lower voice, "it's been kept tidy, which is a surprise."

He was teasing me, I knew it. My room was never usually particularly tidy, and the only reason the house was immaculate is because I'd spent a few hours frantically tidying last night.

But _he'd_ never know that...

"I've turned over a new leaf," I answered, putting on the kettle.

"We both have."

He smiled towards me and dumped some random white bags on the kitchen table. I watched as he fiddled around with the contents. "This is my medication, apparently. The people said it'd help," he added with a shrug.

"Hmm," I replied. "You'd better take their advice, then. How often do you take it?"

He squinted towards the packet. "I think I need glasses... my eye sight's getting worse every day," he muttered. "Um, two every morning. They're big buggers, too."

I gave him a look and he sighed. "Don't worry, Bells. I'm sticking to this plan, for both our sakes."

Handing him his drink (obviously non-alcoholic), I couldn't help smiling. "You've made me real proud, Dad. I can't wait for the people around here to see you, mainly because you can show them how well you've done."

"They've been gossiping, then?" he asked, taking a seat.

"Um... sort of," I answered, wincing internally. "But..."

"Don't worry. It's what I expected, really."

We sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the peace. Charlie must have had a hard time staying in his room alone for all that time and I couldn't really imagine what it'd be like having all these freedom suddenly given back to you.

"So, has anything happened in the last week that I should know about?"

Dad's voice brought me out of my thoughts and, for one scary moment, I thought he already knew about Edward. But then again, that was just impossible... surely?

I didn't answer for a while and he looked at me strangely, clearly waiting for my reply. It was now or never...

"Well, I... um," I trailed off stupidly. "I've... met someone."

His eyebrows raised suspiciously. I guessed he'd probably been waiting for this moment for a long time, considering I'd never really introduced any boyfriends to him, mainly because I hadn't _had_ any. But now was his moment... he could have a rant if he pleased. It was just one of those experiences that came with being a father.

"Oh really?" he replied. "And how did you meet this 'someone?'"

I took a deep breath and explained everything about his accident, feeling worse as the story got more and more detailed. I hadn't told him any of this before and it was one of the few major events in my life. It was a lot to keep from him and I felt awfully guilty.

"And, um... we just," I shrugged, finishing rather lamely. "We got together, I guess."

He stared at me wordlessly for a few moments. "Bells, why didn't you tell me about all of this?"

"I didn't want you to worry," I replied honestly. "You already had enough to deal with being in that rehab place, and I didn't want to add to your worries. Besides, I dealt with it on my own."

"And how is he now? This _Edward _of yours?"

"He's good," I said with a smile. "He lives just down the road with Dr Cullen. They're related. Uncle and nephew."

He nodded slowly. "And he hasn't been messing around with you or anything?"

"No, no," I told him quickly. "He's the nicest person I've ever really met. Of the other sex, that is. That sounds pretty lame," I added with a half hearted laugh.

"I'd like to meet him sometime," he continued, taking a long drink of his coffee. "I'll see if he's worthy of the Charlie Swan stamp of approval."

I looked at him with a new found fear, but he suddenly smiled widely, nudging my arm. "I'm joking, Bells. If he's made you happy, which he _looks_ like he has, then he's fine with me. I'd just like to see him for myself, in case he's your future husband or something."

The shock made me almost choke on my drink and I coughed violently, hitting my chest. "Gosh, Dad," I gasped. "Talk about jumping the gun!"

He grinned. "Well, you never know. Any excuse to get my old suit out."

"Well I don't think you'll have to worry about that _just_ yet."

* * *

_2 days later_

Sunday morning was a day of reckoning. I woke up feeling quite sick and, remembering that today Edward would meet Charlie, I was overcome by a powerful wave of nausea. It was stupid of me, because I knew deep down that Edward was a good person, and he'd even promised to be on his, quote, 'best behaviour.' We had nothing to hide.

"I'll be bringing my Dad over tomorrow, if that's alright with you and Carlisle," I had told him last night on the phone, biting my fingernails along the way.

He paused, calling for him. "Yeah, Carlisle says that's okay. It might just be me, but you sound a bit... scared, Bella."

I scoffed. "I'm terrified."

"Why? Are you ashamed of me?"

I knew he was teasing, so I played along. "Obviously. I just know Charlie is gonna despise you."

He laughed. "Thanks, Bella. But seriously, it'll be fine."

"You don't know that," I said, fiddling with the buttons on my shirt. "I just don't know what would happen if-"

"Bella. I'll be on my best behaviour. Don't worry about a thing."

"I'll try. See you tomorrow."

And I did try. I did everything to distract myself; I read a few pages of a random old book, watched TV, cooked some food, did some schoolwork (although that didn't last long; my academic efforts had declined a lot lately) but everything seemed to move me back towards thinking about tomorrow.

And now, tomorrow is today, and my stomach feels like it's full of fluttering butterflies.

I didn't even attempt eating some breakfast, knowing I'd probably see it again if I did. Charlie noticed this and he chuckled at me.

"Bella, you look frightened to death. It's no big deal, really."

I didn't reply, just made him some more bacon and eggs. "How are you feeling today?" I asked after a while, wanting to reflect the attention onto somebody other than myself.

"Good," he said briefly.

"Any cravings?"

He paused. "Well I can't say there haven't been a_ny_, but I'm coping." He turned towards me with a small smile. "I just need your support."

"Good thing that's what you'll be getting, then," I replied, returning the smile weakly.

* * *

A few painful hours later, we pulled up outside Carlisle and Edward's house in the truck and, catching my reflection briefly in the mirror, I could see that I was even paler than usual.

"Let's just get this over with, before you collapse from the pressure," Charlie joked, once again teasing me. No one else seemed to feel as anxious as me, and I took a few deep breaths, before stepping out the car and towards the place.

"Nice," he nodded in approval. "Being a doctor clearly has its benefits."

I laughed humourlessly, knocking on the door.

Carlisle answered after a few seconds, mainly because Edward was upstairs and it'd probably take him too much effort to hobble downstairs with his crutches.

"Hello," he said politely and enviably calmly. "I'm Dr Cullen."

"Yes, I know you," Charlie replied with a smile. "Everybody knows the best doctor in town."

Carlisle laughed. "Thank you, but I'm not sure that's completely true. How are you now, anyway, Mr Swan? I don't mean to be rude, but I heard about your..."

"It's fine," Dad said. "And I'm feeling pretty good."

"That's great to hear." Carlisle briefly met my eyes and smiled, in what seemed to be a soothing gesture. "Please, come in."

He led us up the stairs and I started to really panic, knowing Edward was just behind the doors. Carlisle seemed to notice my anxiety, because he gave me another smile and touched my shoulder briefly.

After this, he slowly opened the doors and everything happened in a blur from then on.

Edward smiled widely as soon as we were in his view and I couldn't help being shocked at what he was wearing. He'd pulled together a short sleeved white shirt along with a loosely done tie, clearly showing his rather muscular arms. I'd never noticed those before...

He'd gelled his hair a little and tried to tame it, but it was still wild and stuck up in various different directions. He'd also shaven and I wanted to run my fingers over the newly smooth skin. Normally there was a bit of stubble.

In general, my reaction was one of awe. I thought he was beautiful before, but now... now he was just beyond words.

He met my eyes and gave me a small smile, walking confidently over with his crutches and placed his hand in mine. I couldn't help wincing, knowing my own hand was probably clammy from the sweat, but he squeezed it reassuringly.

"Hello Mr Swan," he said, turning towards my father. "I'm Edward Cullen."

He briefly removed his hand from mine to shake Charlie's but, as soon as he was done, his hand moved back to mine, where it belonged.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Charlie replied and, from what I could hear, he sounded genuine. I glanced at him and he seemed to be fighting a smile. "You've scrubbed up well."

Edward laughed. "Thank you. I thought I'd make an effort."

"How's your leg? Bella told me all about what happened."

"It's a bit sore, but nothing I can't deal with."

Charlie smiled. "A good attitude to have."

"Do you want something to drink, Mr Swan?" Carlisle asked suddenly, interrupting the conversation.

"Uh, a coffee would be great, thank you," he replied. "And please call me Charlie." He turned to Edward. "Both of you. It'll sound too formal otherwise."

The people he addressed both smiled, looking eerily similar, and Carlisle soon left, the sound of the kettle quickly following.

"This is a pretty impressive house," Dad said, looking around constantly. Edward met my eyes briefly and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm really lucky to live here."

Charlie's eyes were fixed on the television in the corner, something which didn't really surprise me. "Nice TV, too," he murmured.

Edward nodded. "Great for watching the sports on."

Oh no... not a sports-related conversation _please..._

"You watch baseball?" Dad asked.

Oh fantastic. Time to zone out...

"I saw the match the other day, yeah," Edward grinned. "Do you think-"

I stared ahead then, waiting for them to stop talking about players and details that sounded foreign to me. When they spoke, though, I took in just how enthusiastic they were with each other, and how their chat seemed alive and bright.

That was certainly hopeful.

Carlisle returned quickly with the drinks and we all sat down, Charlie and Edward still busily chatting with each other. Their topics moved from sports to hobbies, to music, to Forks in general... it seemed to never stop. I met Carlisle's eyes after about half an hour, mainly because we'd only been able to fit in a word or two here and there, and he grinned at me, giving me the thumbs up.

This was probably going to be a _long_ afternoon.

* * *

My presumptions from before were actually wrong, because the hours actually went by surprisingly quickly and, before I knew it, I was saying goodbye to Edward and heading outside.

"It seemed to go well," he murmured quietly in my ear, causing goosebumps that weren't just from the early evening chilly breeze.

"Yeah," I replied happily. "But did you_ have_ to talk about sports?"

He smirked playfully. "It's nice to have a common interest. When your father gets going he can_ really_ talk. I like him."

"Good." I let out a long sigh. "Seems I got worked up over nothing."

"Isn't that always the way with you?" he laughed. Before I could protest, he pressed his lips gently on me, kissing me softly and making everything around us seem to disappear into a a strange blur.

That was probably the reason why we both jumped wildly when my Dad suddenly spoke from behind us.

"Bella, let the lad breathe."

We pulled apart and I stared at the floor in embarrassment, my face now burning. Charlie walked over with Carlisle and he smiled at Edward, patting him on the shoulder.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Edward. You seem like a genuinely good person."

He smiled. "Thank you, sir. The feeling's mutual."

Dad turned towards Carlisle. "I look forward to seeing you both in the future, if that's alright, I mean."

As Carlisle opened his mouth to talk, I interrupted. "You mean you'd like to come over and watch the baseball on that huge TV?"

He raised a finger to his lips. "Ssh, Bells. You'll ruin my plan."

We all laughed lightly, and Charlie and myself headed towards the truck. "Thanks for tonight," he said, waving once more before sitting in the passenger's seat. I gave Edward a final kiss and waved to Carlisle, trying to show my appreciation, before getting in the vehicle and starting up the engine.

I waited until we were out of sight before tentatively speaking to Dad. "So?"

He sucked in a deep breath, making me nervous. I caught his eye and he laughed. "I approve, Bella. I most definitely approve."

That was all I'd really wanted to hear and I smiled goofily all the way home.


	22. When Everything Came Together

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Chapter Twenty Two - Closed Book_

**_One week later..._**

The week which passed by after that was a strange one, mostly because I had the choice to stay home off school. I'd already missed a few days due to all the complications and goings on, yet Charlie was insistent that I stayed home with him, mainly because he, in his own words, needed the support. I was happy to stay with him and, besides, the thought of going back there without Edward was a little daunting.

We visited Carlisle and Edward more or less every day, and I was delighted that Charlie had accepted them both so willingly. Deep down, I hoped we could become one big family and, as well as this, Carlisle could always give Charlie support about his alcohol problem, so it was a win-win situation all around.

The days gradually past by and the time soon came to go to the police station in order to identify the suspects. It was no news to Edward that everything involving the police made me feel ill and it was terrifying how fast this had come round. It felt just like yesterday that he was explaining what had happened to him.

The journey there in the truck was tense, with Charlie and Carlisle supporting us both by offering encouraging words from the back seats.

"There's no way they'll be able to hurt you nowadays," Dad said, making me grip the steering wheel tighter. _I hadn't really been thinking of violence... _"When I was back in there they used to have methods of all kinds to keep people safe."

I saw Carlisle nodding in the reflection of the rear mirror. "Besides, there's always that witness protection programme. I've heard it's of a really high standard these days."

"Who told you that?" I asked, out of interest. His face fell and he seemed to hesitate; in fact, he looked strangely nervous.

"Well, I was talking to DI Adams," he said in a rush, trying to brush it off as nothing important. Edward and myself immediately exchanged a quick glance, grinning at each other. Carlisle seemed to catch this. "Is there something amusing you two?" he asked.

"No, no," I replied, trying to hide a smirk.

We soon arrived outside the frighteningly familiar station and the engine cut off, leaving us all in silence.

"It'll be-"

"Fine, I know," Edward said, finishing Carlisle's sentence. I laughed weakly at how predictable and repetitive it all was. "Thank you for the reassurance, but the word's aren't really helping that much. Sorry."

Carlisle shook his head. "It's fine. I'll just keep quiet now."

Edward met my eyes and I stepped out of the car to help him. As I did so, Charlie murmured, "Good luck, Bells. And you, Edward. I hope those pieces of dirt get what they deserve."

We both looked at him. "Thanks, Dad," I said sincerely, giving him a small smile. "We shouldn't be too long. I hope."

In fact, we were soon inside and DI Adams was there waiting for us by the reception; she clearly wasn't one to waste any time. As soon as she saw us, she smiled warmly in our direction and headed over, exuding a calm motherly feeling.

She reminded me of a female Carlisle, strangely enough.

"Morning," she said. "Follow me down here." She opened a door and we both slowly walked after her. "You both look ill."

We didn't reply to her statement and she chuckled to herself.

"There really is no need to panic at all," she soothed as we made our way to the room. "We've got protective glass that enables the suspects to have no way whatsoever of seeing you. All you have to do is point at who committed the crime and that's it."

Edward nodded stiffly. "And then can I get my necklaces back?"

She smiled. "You sure can." We arrived at a door and, after another nod from us both, she let us in.

It was eerily dark in the room and standing behind some large panels of glass was a line of six _horrible_-looking people - all of them had scars and looked old and tired, as though they'd been through hell, which they probably deserved. All their clothes seemed to be scruffy and torn, and most of them had stitched up cuts or bruises on their dirty skin. They were textbook criminals, standing there fidgeting while the lights blared in their faces.

I was just squirming to myself when I suddenly heard Edward suck in a breath as he caught eyes of a pair in the middle.

"It's numbers three and four, definitely," he said with a quiet voice. "They did it. I... I recognise their eyes."

I looked at them and felt a wave of repulsion and anger. They'd caused Edward so much unnecessary pain and they deserved everything that was coming to them.

"Are you sure now, Mr Cullen?" Her sharp eyes darted to mine. "Miss Swan?"

"I agree with him, they fit his description," I murmured.

"I'm positive," Edward added.

DI Adams turned to us with another smile. "We have them, then. We'll arrest them straight away and news of the court case will be sent to you soon. You don't have to stand as a witness if you don't wish, we can just use the evidence gathered already and your statements."

"Does that mean you'll have to keep the necklaces as evidence?" Edward asked, sounding a little disappointed.

"We can photograph them instead."

"Thank you," he breathed, and she led us out of the room. I breathed in a long sigh of relief; it was over, a closed book... the people were where they belonged now and everything was right.

It was tempting to do a little dance.

But, just as I thought about this, the red haired girlfriend of Jacob Black popped into my mind and I froze. I'd have to go back to school soon and she'd surely know about what I did... it was blatantly obvious seeing as I'd practically _asked_ for the necklace back.

Edward seemed to sense my worry because, when we walked down the corridor, he turned to me and threaded his hand into mine. "Something wrong?"

"I was just thinking about that one person's girlfriend. Y'know, the one I talked to in school?" I muttered quietly. "She-"

"_She_ won't bother you, I promise."

"But you won't be there in school to protect me," I countered quietly, so only he could hear. "I'll be there on my own from now on."

He looked into my eyes. "The police will ensure she doesn't hurt you, I'm positive of that." DI Adams turned around at this point and nodded in agreement. "That's true, Miss Swan. If she approaches you, you can inform us about it. Perhaps she'll be glad and grateful towards you for finding out about her boyfriend. It would save her some trouble, you never know."

I couldn't help scoffing. "That's about as likely to happen as Edward sprinting outside right now and completing a marathon."

Edward smirked. "Don't underestimate me."

I rolled my eyes. "We're being serious here."

"Bella," he said in a strong voice. "Really, don't worry. It's all taken care of. And besides, that friend of your's Rosalie can help you. She looks like a tough type."

"Don't say that to her face," I warned. Her name suddenly raised a few questions in my mind and I found myself pondering aloud. "I wonder why she hasn't tried contacting me yet, though. I know my mobile's at school, but there's always the home phone."

"Have you checked the answering machine?"

I frowned. "No. Not lately.."

"There you go, then."

"But it's still weird. I thought she'd be more eager to talk to me," I trailed off. "Never mind."

"There's probably a valid reason if she hasn't been so enthusiastic," he replied. "You have been away from school, after all."

I nodded stiffly. "Maybe she thinks I've abandoned her."

"I doubt it. I've seen that your friendship is pretty strong."

"I should have been more supportive. She was going through all kinds of crap with Emmett and I-"

He shocked me by cupping my face with his hands. "And you were going through all kinds of crap with me. It's not your fault, Bella, and I'm sure she knows that. Quit panicking and relax, please. You almost look unattractive when you're so pale and jittery."

My mouth fell open and he laughed.

"Come on, let's get out of here and share the good news."

* * *

To our surprise, Charlie and Carlisle decided to throw a little celebration party after that, and my suspicions from before were practically confirmed when Carlisle walked back into the station to ask DI Adams if she wanted to come along too. He told us that she'd declined because of her workload, but he clearly looked disappointed and I knew then that _something _was going on.

We passed around glasses of Coke at our house, for Dad's sake, and a small table of food had been rustled together by Carlisle.

I knew I should have been happy about it all but I just couldn't get Rose off my mind; I had checked the answering machine as soon as we got back and there was nothing. I could feel Edward's eyes on me as I did so and he gave me a small smile.

"Nothing," I sighed as he placed his arm around my shoulder. "I've definitely done something."

"Bella, don't think like that."

But I had thought like that throughout the party and, when I couldn't face it anymore, I asked Dad for his mobile and hurried upstairs to my room. I shut the door behind me and took in a deep breath to calm myself for what felt like the hundredth time.

I was really worried and my heart hammered as I toyed with the phone in my hands. This could either go really well, or really badly.

Before I could panic any longer, I quickly dialled her home number and waited anxiously as the dialling tone travelled into my ear.

It took ten full rings before she answered and she sounded oddly ill when she did so. My stomach immediately turned light. "Hello?" she croaked.

"Rose, it's Bella," I said quickly. "Is something wrong? I'm worried about you."

"You could say that," she replied, along with a heavy sigh. Her weak voice was scaring me.

"You haven't really been in touch lately and I thought it was a bit unlike you. I-"

"I'm sorry that I haven't been in school all week, I-"

"You've been away?" I asked, surprised. "So have I."

"Why's that?"

"Oh, Charlie's home and I promised to look after him. And other things have been happening, but I haven't been in school to pick up my phone or had the chance to ring you, sorry." I trailed off, realising that I was rambling. "Why have you been away?" She remained silent. "Rose, what's wrong? Please tell me."

I heard some noises from the other side that sounded horribly like crying. "Rose," I said softly. "You can tell me."

"I know," she whispered. "I... Bells, I just don't know what to do!"

"Just tell me everything, it'll be okay I'm sure."

The sound of her blowing her noise rattled in the line. "Ew, Rose. That's disgusting," I joked.

She laughed half-heartedly. "Shut up."

I remained quiet while she gathered her thoughts. "Emmett and I got back together and... I don't know how it happened... well, I _do_ but..." She sighed. "I'm pregnant, Bells. I'm freaking _pregnant_."

My eyes widened. I couldn't seem to make a sound for a few moments.

"Okay," I said slowly. "Okay. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," she replied and she sounded in complete despair.

"Right. Well, do you want to keep it?"

"I'm not sure... I don't want to kill the baby, that's for sure."

"You'll have to keep it then, Rose."

"But..." she stammered. "But we don't have any money, we still live with our parents... Bells, this is a big mess."

She trailed off, probably panicking some more. I tried my hardest to calm her. "Have you told your parents?"

She whimpered.

"I take it that's a no, then." I paused. "I'm sure they'd understand. Just talk to them about it and plan what you're gonna do. If you think it all through I'm sure you'll have an option by the end of it. Just be rational. Think what would be in the baby's best interests."

It took her a little while to answer. "Ever considered being an agony aunt?"

I smiled. "It will be okay, Rose. If your parents or Emmett aren't too happy, I'm always here." I paused. "Have you told Emmett?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"He seemed excited, actually. I begged him not to tell anyone, but-"

"Well that's _something_ positive. He'd probably be a good dad. Apart from his violent side."

She chuckled. "Thanks, Bells. You've made me feel a tiny bit better."

"I classify that as an achievement. Please call me if there's anything wrong and you always know where I am."

"Thanks. You're a great friend, I hope you know that."

"You too. See you soon."

We both hung up and I stared ahead for a few moments. I felt both relieved and worried, but at least I could help her somehow. Making a mental note to visit her sometime, I walked back downstairs to the party. I wasn't going to tell anyone just yet; it wouldn't be fair to spoil the party.

Edward met my eyes as soon as I walked in the room. "Okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied, looking around at everyone sitting down around the TV. "Well, this is one hard core party..."

"Oi," Charlie gasped, feigning offence. "I've never been so insulted in all my life."

"Yeah," Carlisle added. "That sarcasm is dangerous, Bella."

We all laughed and slipped back into the party mood, playing a few more games on a console and generally having a good time. I think we all genuinely enjoyed ourselves for the first time in months, but Rose was on my mind the whole time.

* * *

"She's pregnant? Damn."

Edward and myself were lying on the bed in his room again the following day, once more fulfilling his prophecy from the hospital. There was a light breeze tickling our faces from the window and his arm was draped lazily over my shoulder, allowing me to cuddle next to him.

"Yeah. She sounded pretty distressed."

He looked over at me. "What's she gonna do?"

"Keep it, I think. There's always adoption - I'm not sure if they're completely ready for a child yet. But surely they weren't that stupid?"

"Accidents happen," he reasoned.

We sat in a calming silence, something that I'd grown to enjoy in his company. Sure, I really enjoyed talking to him, but we seemed comfortable when the words ran out and it allowed both of us to think, something that I liked.

"Bella?" he suddenly said, slowly easing himself upright. I followed his actions, feeling a bit anxious at the tone of his voice.

"Yeah?"

"I have something for you."

I watched his hand reach into his pocket and he fumbled around for a while, before retrieving one of the necklaces from yesterday. Of course it was his mother's necklace which he cherished so much and had longed for ever since it slipped out of his possession.

I stared at him wordlessly, waiting for him to say something.

"I think it would be right for you to have this," he said, stretching out his hand. "You... you mean a lot to me and I w-want you to wear it."

My mouth couldn't produce any words, I just moved my hands mechanically forward to meet his.

"Bella?"

"Are you s-sure?" I murmured. "But, they're your mother's... I-"

"I think the idea was to pass them through the family, down through people who... who you l-." He paused. "People who m-mean a lot." He stopped again before nodding to himself. His voice sounded stronger this time. "And you know what else I think?"

I met his eyes and shook my head silently, literally hanging on to whatever he might say next.

He was quiet for a long time. "Well, I... I think..." he swallowed, "I think I love you, Bella."

He looked down at this point, appearing to be embarrassed, but my body was frozen in shock. Love? _Love_?

Love.

I leaned forwards and did the first thing that came to my head; I kissed him. His fingers crawled around and into my hair, gently pushing me closer to his body and my hands instinctively wrapped around his back, never wanting to let go.

He was mine now. I didn't want to sound like some possessive freak, but it was true; for some unbelievable reason, he loved me, and I loved him back.

Our kiss deepened further than before and Edward fell slowly onto his back, and I somehow ended up on top of him. It was a bold gesture that made my heart hammer manically faster, but we just continued, a fiery heat seeming to pass between us.

After a time I couldn't even _begin _to measure, we both pulled apart and I fell to the space beside him. Through shaky breaths I whispered, "You know what?"

He met my eyes and I saw how his face was flushed with colour and how his eyes were bright; in short, he was just beautiful. "What, Bella?"

"I love you too."

He leaned over and carefully placed the necklace around me, kissing my neck softly in the process. The jewellery was cold against my skin, something that was shocking compared to all the heat I'd felt a few seconds before from Edward's lips.

It was quite indescribable how happy I was at that moment; a powerful optimism was overtaking me and I suddenly thought that everything with Rose could be okay; it certainly wasn't the end of the world for her or the worst thing that could ever happen - maybe she'd see that.

With another smile, I moved myself closer to Edward and slowly closed my eyes, thinking contentedly to myself.

* * *

**Gah, I hope that wasn't _too_ cheesy! **

**Epilogue from five years later on will be up in a few days - sorry if you don't like those types of endings but I think they're best to completely close the story, and then it's all done! **


	23. Epilogue

**For Your Eyes Only**

_Epilogue_

_**Five years later...**_

"Auntie Bella! Auntie _Bella_!"

The silence around Edward and myself was soon shattered as Amy - Rose and Emmett's four year old daughter - came sprinting into the room with tears streaming down her flushed little face. She landed straight onto my lap, knocking the air out of my lungs, and her arms gripped tightly around my neck. I exchanged a worried glance with Edward and he just grinned at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly against her head of curly blonde hair. She pulled away and rubbed her nose with the back of her hand.

"I... was... I f-fell over and hurt my finger!" she wailed, launching into a fit of loud tears once more. I bounced her up and down on my knees and looked over to Edward once more for support. He mouthed the word_ candy?_ and I grimaced at him, quietly telling him how Rose was strict about her child's sugar intake, knowing too well how it made her scarily hyper. As a response, he raised his eyebrows and shrugged. _Cheers_, I mouthed back.

"How about I kiss it better?" I tried, and she nodded happily, thrusting her finger in my face. I gently did as I'd offered and she soon seemed to calm down, nestling her head on my shoulder. "Alright now?"

"Yes. Thank you Auntie Bella," she said quietly and I was once again extremely glad that Rose had decided to keep the baby. Her parents were a little livid at first, but they luckily soon warmed to the idea of having a grand daughter. The pregnancy went wonderfully well, with her family attending each scan, and witnessing the birth was one of the moments I knew I'd never forget. It was a little disgusting in parts, but very much worth it.

Emmett and Rose were fantastic parents too. They seemed to have a natural ability and it warmed my heart seeing them together; Amy was always giggling hysterically at Emmett's funny faces.

It also made me feel quite broody.

"Uncle Edward?"

"Mmm?" he turned towards her.

"Can you pwease play the piano for me? Pwease?"

He grinned. "Sure." After scooping her up in his arms, he gave me a quick wink before leaving the room. It wasn't long before the soothing sound of his music drifted into the room and I smiled to myself, thinking back to how Rose had met Edward.

At first she was_ incredibly_ shocked that I'd kept it from her. So much so that she didn't speak to me for a whole week. I remember it vividly, the way she'd reminded me how we apparently never kept secrets from each other and she regularly used her famous death glare, making me feel absolutely awful.

But, despite this, she gradually came around and finally met him, always eyeing him carefully in the process. It was like him meeting Charlie all over again and I had to try not to panic once more.

It took a while, but they slowly got to know each other and are now very close friends. Emmett and Edward are even closer, going out to play baseball every weekend without fail. They're like brothers to one another and it made me ridiculously happy knowing that Edward now had a family, when before he feared he was completely alone.

That seemed like _such _a long time ago, mainly because it really was. Five years had passed since we'd first met, since we'd had to worry about finding his necklaces and the criminals. My fingers subconsciously moved to fiddle with the jewellery around my neck as I thought about everything.

We didn't actually go to the trial, but Jacob Black and his consort, whatever he was called, were arrested for fifteen years in jail. To me, it wasn't really enough, but I was pleased that they were being punished, and so was Edward. As a bonus, I never heard from the girlfriend and could return to finish school as normal.

Both Edward and myself went to Dartmouth University after we finished at Forks High. Edward studied for a degree in English Literature, while I studied for a teaching degree, having developed a new found interest in the profession. It took a few years, but we both graduated together and managed to eventually find good jobs. It was all very fortune and, as a result, we were able to find our own place, even though both Charlie and Carlisle insisted we could both stay home for a little while. We respected their generosity, but deep down wanted some independence.

We found a lovely place in Forks, not far from our family, and that's where we were babysitting Amy at that moment. This thought brought me back to the present and I gasped a little, seeing Edward sitting beside me; he had an incredibly strange expression on his face.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, shifting to face him.

He shook his head, grinning widely. "No, I was just amused by the look on your face."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You looked in a complete daze," he teased, moving to sit by me. "That always seems to happen... is there something on your mind?"

"No, no, I was just thinking about things. The past few years, to be precise... everything's gone by so fast."

"It has," he said, exhaling a long breath. "But I've enjoyed every minute."

"Every minute?"

"Well... most of it," he smirked. "I wasn't_ particularly _comfortable that one time you decided to draw me, but I _had_ told you that you could, so I couldn't really get out of it."

"That's a mouthful," I laughed. "And it wasn't really _that_ bad, was it?"

"Nah, I'm just pulling your leg."

I sighed, nudging him gently. "Where's Amy, anyway?"

"Oh, she's asleep. I left her on our bed, if that's alright. There wasn't really any other place to let her sleep and she's just completely out of it."

"That's a shame," I murmured quietly. "But I hope she doesn't drool on our bedsheets or anything..."

I felt him suddenly freeze a little. As a response, I glanced up at him, to see him looking over at me with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean, 'that's a shame?'" he asked slowly and I cringed. I'd meant to make it sound like an offhand comment, not something serious...

I didn't exactly know how to approach the fact that I'd love to have children myself.

"Well, I was just s-saying it's a shame we don't have a spare cot around the place or anything. Y'know."

I was too afraid to look at him to see his reply, but after a few moments of silence I couldn't resist and, looking over at him, my heart skipped a few beats - he was smiling, the wonderful crooked smile I'd grown to love.

"Maybe someday we'll have a few cots around the place," he replied breezily. "When we're married."

My eyes widened - had I just misheard something?

"S-sorry?"

We met eyes. "Bella, I... these five years I've spent with you have been the best of my life. So far, of course," he quickly added. "And... it... I... it only feels right to ask you to be my wife." He looked at me, his eyes scanning my face, and I watched as his face seemed to fall. "Oh... I... I didn't know that you... er..."

Did he think I didn't _want_ to? Was he insane?

"No, Edward, I... I'm just shocked, that's all."

He fumbled around, reaching into his pockets. It made me think back to the day he'd given me the necklace and first said that he loved me.

He quickly produced a small box and opened it, revealing a beautiful silver ring, full of emeralds.

_Like his eyes_, was my first thought. I wondered if he'd consciously chosen that colour.

My mouth was moving, but I wasn't making any sounds. It felt painful to speak, as my throat was so raw from the sudden emotion. Tears were spilling from my eyes and Edward caught them with his fingers, his touch soft and careful.

After taking a deep breath, I decided to try and reply. "I'd... I'd l-love to, Edward." I paused. "Be your w-wife, that is."

He laughed then, his eyes crinkling around the edges, and he leaned over to pull me into his arms. I gripped onto him tightly, still in a daze. _His wife_.

"Mrs Cullen," he said slowly when we pulled apart. As he murmured this, he slipped the ring slowly onto my finger. "That sounds fantastic to me."

I smiled weakly. "It really does."

There was a sudden knock on the door and I registered that it was probably Rose and Emmett, here to pick up Amy. The starnge bubble around us seemed to burst as I walked to the door and opened it gradually, letting in our guests. Everything still felt like a bit of a blur to me...

"Hi Bells," Rose said cheerfully. "Wh-" She paused, looking between me and Edward. "Is something wrong?" Emmett stood behind, eyeing us both wearily. I exchanged a glance with Edward and he walked over, holding my hand once more. We both probably had very strange expressions on our faces.

"Nothing's wrong," I grinned.

"We're engaged," Edward finished, barely able to contain himself. I remembered the time when Rose announced she was going to marry Emmett, how excited she was, and that excitement was more or less the same towards me now. She launched herself in my direction, oddly like her daughter, and gripped me tightly.

"Oh, Bells, congratulations!" she beamed. "We've been waiting for you to do something, it's been nearly five years after all!"

Emmett slapped Edward on the back. "Well done, mate. You've got yourself a good one there."

I looked to the floor. "Thanks for the embarrassment, Emmett."

He laughed, a thundering sound. "No problem. Hey, we've got to celebrate this somehow..."

"Yeah," Rose pondered. "I'll get something sorted."

A laugh escaped my still-numb lips. "Well it might be a good time to get your daughter first. She's asleep on our bed."

They both disappeared and, while they were gone, I looked over at Edward in disbelief. I just couldn't stop smiling and feeling the ring on my finger. Edward smiled back at me, standing behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. While he did so, he rested his head on my shoulder. "Mrs Cullen," he repeated, making my skin tingle.

Amy was soon back in Emmett's arms, still fast asleep, and they all eventually headed back towards the door. "We'll get back in touch about your party," Rose promised.

Edward grinned. "We'll look forward to it."

"Y'know, I think you'd make a good bridesmaid, Rose," I said, trying to make the comment offhandedly. "Along with Amy, that'd be nice. You can return the favour."

She looked at me with shining eyes. "Really? Wow, it'd be my honour, Bells. Thank you."

We had another long hug and wished each other well. "You'll hear from us soon."

"Why does that sound horribly ominous?" I grimaced, causing a boom from Emmett.

"You'll see. See you soon! Thanks again!"

"Yeah," we both smiled. "See you soon."

They quickly left down the stairs and, when they were definitely gone, Edward scooped me into his arms once more. He placed a few kisses on my neck and began to whisper breathily into my ear. "I think we have some celebrating of our own to do, Mrs Cullen."

Goosebumps travelled along my arms. "Ooh. What do you have in mind?"

His finger pointed to our room. "If you follow me in there, I'll happily show you."

He grabbed my hand and we raced inside, laughing all the way.

* * *

"_Surprise_!"

Edward and I jumped a mile after walking into Carlisle's house; cheers greeted us from a small group of our closest friends and family, and all around us were balloons, food, confetti... it was a full blown party and we both smiled excitedly, hurrying over to greet everybody. This was certainly the _last_ thing I'd expected; Edward and myself thought that Rose had completely forgotten all about the idea and we were preparing for a nice quiet evening in. So much for _that_.

I hugged Rose first, while Edward met Carlisle and Emmett.

"This is fantastic," I sighed. "I never knew you were this good at organising parties!"

"I'm not," she replied, looking a little sheepish. "I contacted an old friend of mine who's really good at this type of stuff, and, well... you're never gonna believe this. She's Jasper Whitlock's girlfriend. Alice, her name is. I was thinking of inviting her along, but knowing Emmett's history it didn't seem like such a good idea."

"Oh," I said simply. That was a surprise, but it was nice knowing that Jasper had finally settled down and that all that business was_ far_ behind me. It was a bit cringe worthy...

"But anyway, I'm glad you liked it," she smiled, showing me around. "We got you a _huge_ cake!"

She was right; it was _huge_. It was a gigantic chocolate cake in the middle of a food-filled table and I could already feel my mouth watering. "I want some," I said aloud, causing chuckles around me. I recognised one as Edward's and felt his hands around my waist.

"You'd happily live off chocolate if you could," he teased.

"True," I agreed. "If only..." It looked scrumptious, with the cream and... just _ugh_.

A few minutes later and we all had a piece, after my enthusiastic persuasion. In the corner of the room I could see Carlisle and DI Adams standing together, holding hands and talking quietly. It was only natural to smile over at them; I was absolutely _thrilled _when Carlisle told us about his relationship with Esme, as we were now ordered to call her. They'd been taking it slow, both having a history, and they're now a really strong couple. In fact, I've never seen Carlisle looking so happy and it's lasted nearly two years.

"Carlisle and Esme actually baked the cake," Rose told us suddenly. That came as no surprise really, they both invested in their shared love of cooking and regularly provided delicious meals every week for us.

"It's wonderful," I told them and they both met my eyes. They probably hadn't heard over the noise of the music, so I held up the plate and gave them the thumbs up. After this they both laughed and returned the gesture.

God, I loved these people.

I was soon interrupted by Charlie, who had walked over to speak to me. Edward subtly wandered off, giving us some space, and I smiled at my father, feeling incredibly proud of him. He hadn't touched a drop of alcohol in years and I really admired his strength. There was so much temptation around, yet he maintained his willpower.

"My little girl's getting married," he sighed. "I can't believe it."

"Like you said before, you've got an excuse to get the old suit back out," I teased, smiling timidly at him. He did the same and the softness in his eyes made me a little tearful. "Dad, I was actually meaning to ask you something..."

He looked at me expectantly.

"I was wondering if you'd please give me away?"

My voice was barely a whisper, but he clearly heard me. He nodded slowly, murmuring a broken 'yes' in response. After this we paused, before both hugging each other, gripping on tightly. I really was so unbelievably grateful at how my life had turned out so far and how everything had turned around so dramatically, and I found myself crying.

"Hey, come on now, Bells," Dad said softly. "Save the tears for your wedding day."

I laughed, wiping at my eyes. "Thanks Dad."

"No problem." I saw his gaze travel behind me and he suddenly looked excited. "Ooh, Emmett's starting a game of baseball on the console..."

"Gosh, everyone seems to be _obsessed_ with that stupid game," I grumbled under my breath. Despite his outburst, Dad stood still by my side and I chuckled. "Go on, I'm not gonna stop you having fun." Without hesitation, he leant over to kiss me on the cheek and quickly hurried over to Emmett, who eagerly accepted him.

I wasn't on my own for long, though - Edward soon came over and placed his hand in mine. It always surprised me how my body reacted whenever he was near - my skin always went cold, yet he somehow still caused a strange heat at the same time.

"Want some fresh air?" he asked.

I nodded, placing my empty plate on the table. "Definitely"

"You certainly demolished that cake," he commented, grinning at me.

"Yup," I replied, licking my lips. "And I fully intend to demolish some more."

His laugh echoed outside as we stepped into the chilly night breeze. I was wearing a blouse and a skirt, so I was quite cold, yet Edward immediately offered his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. The warmth was lovely and I huddled closer to him.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked after a while, breaking the comfortable silence.

"How everything seems to have turned out unbelievably well," I replied honestly. "You?"

"Something along those lines too. Did Charlie say yes after?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he was really pleased."

"How are things with him and Sue, anyway?" Dad had been spending a lot of time with a lady known simply as 'Sue' that he'd met down at the diner and, whenever we asked him about it, he hastily denied anything, clearly sounding suspicious.

"I'll find out one day," I grinned.

We were silent again for a little while, before I started thinking about something. "It's really strange thinking you were a ghost of some kind when I first saw you." I said this quietly, aware that somebody could be listening and questioning our sanity. "I'm surprised that I didn't run a mile."

"Yeah," he murmured. "I never really knew how that happened. Although..." he trailed off, his eyebrows pulling together.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, after the accident and I was just lying there, once I'd calmed down a little, I remember thinking about stuff I'd never really experienced. All the regrets came flooding back to me, as expected, and I really wished, amongst other things, that I could have fallen in love. I... I really wanted to know the feeling and I think it was the last thing I thought about before I lost consciousness." He met my eyes. "And then I met you... maybe that explains it? Probably not, but it's all I can think of. It seems rational."

"You never told me this before."

"I didn't think it meant anything," he replied honestly.

I gripped his hand tighter. "Any regrets now, though?"

"Not exactly. Although there are still lots of things I'd like to do."

I grinned. "Me too."

"But there's plenty of time for that," he smiled.

We met each other's eyes and shared a very long look. He was right; there was plenty of time, and I just hoped I could spend most of it with him and our new family. The future was looking good.

He gently gave me one more kiss. "I love you, Bella Swan."

"And I love you." I paused, never tiring of the words. "But it's bloody cold out here. Can we go back inside?"

He smirked. "Of course."

And we did, back inside to celebrate with the people closest to us. Everything that had happened in the past would stay that way, the good and the bad times, but I was certainly glad that, during it, I had been for Edward's eyes only.

_The End_


End file.
